• 


** 


!y,<       !,  Library 
12 


ll  B  R.AR.Y 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 


973.785 
P65s 


111. Hist. Survey 


THE 


SPY™  REBELLION; 


BEING 

A    TRUE    HISTORY 

OF    THE 


DURING    THE     LATE     REBELLION. 

REVEALING   MANY  SECRETS  OF  THE   WAR 
HITHERTO  NOT  MADE  PUBLIC. 


COMPILED  FROM  OFFICIAL  REPORTS 

PREPARED   FOR 

PRESIDENT     LINCOLN,     GENERAL     McCLELLAN     AND    THE 
PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL. 


BY 

ALLAN     PINKERTON, 

WHO 

(UNDER  THE  NOM-DE-PLUME  OF  MAJOR  E.  j.  ALLEN) 

WAS 

CHIEF  OF  THE   UNITED    STATES  SECRET  SERVICE. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW    YORK: 

G.    W.   Carleton    &   Co.,  Publishers. 

MDCCCLXXXIII. 
[SOLD    ONLY    BY    SUBSCRIPTION.] 


COPYRIGHT. 

ALLAN    PINKERTON. 

1883. 


Stereotyped  by  TKOW'S 

SAMUEL  STODDER,  PRINTING  AND  BOOK  BINDING  Co., 

90  ANN  STREET,  N.  Y.  N.  Y. 


<?73, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

PACK 

An  Unwritten  Page  of  History. — A  Political  Resumt. — 

Abraham  Lincoln  is  Elected  President.           .  -33 


CHAPTER    II. 

Opposition  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  Inauguration. — A  Plot  to 
Assassinate  him. —  TIu  Journey  from  Springfield, 
Illinois.  .  .  .  .  .  -45 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Conspirators  at  Work. — Detectives  on  their  TraiL- 
Webster  as  a  Soldier. 


4k 

I" 


xii  CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER   IV. 

PAGE 

The   Conspirators  in  Council. — My  Operative  Joins  ttie 

Conspiracy.      .  .  .  .  .  -74 


CHAPTER   V. 

The  Presidential  Party  Arrives  in  Philadelphia. — Inde- 
pendence Hall. —  The  Departure  from  Harrisburg. — 
Telegraph  Wires  Cut. — Through  the  Lines  of  Trea- 
son.— Safe  Arrival  at  Washington.  .  .81 


CHAPTER  VI. 

My   Connection  with  the  Rebellion. —  Timothy   Webster 

Accepts  a  Mission.      .  .  .  .  .104 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Webster  on  his  Way  to  the  Capital. —  Wrecked  Trains 
and  Broken  Bridges. — An  Adventure  with  a  Cav- 
alryman.— A  Rebel  Emissary. — President  Lincoln 
and  Timothy  Webster.  .  .  .  .114 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Timothy  Webster  in  Washington. —  The  Return  to  Phila- 
delphia.— I  go  to  tlie  Capital. — An  Important  Letter.  131 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER   IX. 

FAGK 

An  Adventure  in  Pittsburg. — A  Mob  at  Bay. — An  Ex- 
planation.— Good  Feeling  Restored.    .  .  .142 


CHAPTER   X. 

General  McClellan  in  Command  of  Ohio. — I  am  Engaged 
for  the  War. —  The  Secret  Service. — A  Consultation. 
-Webster  Starts  for  Rebeldom.         .  .  .  151 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Webster  Fraternizes  with  the  Rebel  Officers. — A  Seces- 
sion Hat. — A  Visit  to  a  Rebel  Camp.— "  The  Com- 
mittee of  Safety."  —  A  Friendly  Stranger. — A 
Warning. —  The  Escape.  .  .  .  .168 


CHAPTER   XII.  \ 

/  Take  a  Trip  to  the  South. — Danger  in  Memphis. — A 
Timely   Warning. — A  Persistent  Barber. — An    Un- 
fortunate Memory. — Return  to  Cincinnati.     .  .182 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

East  and  West  Virginia. — Seceding  from  Secession. — 
My  Scouts  in  Virginia. — A  Rebel  Captain  Enter- 
tains "  My  Lord" — An  Old  Justice  dines  with 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Royalty. — A  Lucky  Adventure. — A  Runaway  Horse. 
— A  Rescue.  .....  203 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

The  Rebels  Attempt  to  Occupy  West  Virginia. — General 
McClellan  Ordered  to  Drive  Them  Out.  —  Early 
Battles. —  The  Federals  Victorious. —  West  Virginia 
Freed  from  Rebel  Soldiers.  ....  227 


CHAPTER  XV. 

General  McClellan  is  Called  to  Washington,  and  Placed 
in  Command  of  the  A  rmies  after  the  Battle  of  Bull 
Run. —  The  Secret  Service  Department. — Its  Duties 
and  Responsibilities.  .  .  .  .  237 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  Female  Traitor. — Suspicious  Correspondence. — A  Close 
Watch  under  Difficulties. — /  am  Arrested. — Expos- 
ure  of  the    Treason  of  a  Trusted  Officer. — A  Dis- 
graced Captain.  .  .  .  .  .250 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Timothy  Webster  in  Baltimore. — A  n  Encounter  with  a 
Fire-eater. —  Webster  Defends  Himself.  —  Treason 
Rampant  in  tJie  Monumental  City.  .  .  .271 


CONTENTS.  xv 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAGE 

Webster  Makes  a  Journey  to  the  South. — A  Secret  Organ- 
ization. —  The  "Knights  of  Liberty" — Webster  Be- 
comes a  Member. — A  Sudden  Intrusion  of  the  Mili- 
tary.— The  Conspiracy  Broken  Up.  .  .  .  283 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

Suspicions  in  Washington. — "  Uncle  Callus" — Property 
Searched. — A  Rebel  Family  sent  South. —  Webster 
Starts  for  Richmond.  .  .  .  .301 


CHAPTER   XX. 

The  Spy  at  Richmond. — Earthworks  Around  the  Rebel 
Capital. — An  Unexpected  Meeting. — Pistols  for  Two. 
— A  Reconciliation. — Safe  Return  to  Washington.  .  314 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Again  in  Baltimore. — A    Warning. —  The  Spy  is  Ar- 
rested.— And  Escapes.  .  »  .326 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PAGE 

Webster  and  Scobell. — A  Negro  as  a  Spy. — A  Traitor 
Deserts  from  the  Army. — He  Carries  Dispatches  to 
the  Rebels. —  Which  Fail  of  Their  Destination. — An 
Attack  in  the  Woods. — "The  Loyal  League" — Slaves 
as  Patriots.  ......  343 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A  Negro  Spy. — Passage  on  a  Steam-Packet. — Lyrical 
Melodies. — Scobell  Deserts  the  Ship. — His  Tramps 
Through  Rebeldom.  .  .  .  .  .  358 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  Perilous  Ride. — A  Suspicious  Peddler. —  Uncle  Callus 
Again. — Scobell  Investigating. — Doubts  and  Suspi- 
cions. .......  367 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

The  Journey  Resumed. — A  Midnight  Pursuit. — A  Brave 
Woman. — A  Deadly  Encounter. — Scobell  Defends 
Himself  .-—Death  of  a  Rebel  Spy.  .  .  .381 


CONTENTS.  xvii 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

PAGE 

A  Woman's  Discoveries. — An  Infernal  Machine. — The 
Shipping  in  Danger. — Discovery  and  Destruction  of 
the  Submarine  Battery.  .  .  .  394 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

"Stuttering  Dave"  —  His  Tramp  Through  the  Rebel 
Lines. — An  Ammunition  Train. — "Dave's"  Plan 
Succeeds  in  its  Destruction. — A  Man  who  Stuttered 
and  "Had  Fits"  .....  404 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

Another  Trip  to  Richmond. — A  Rebel  General  Taken  In. 
—  Curtis  Makes  Valuable  Acquaintances.  —  "  The 
Subterranean  Headquarters"  .  .  .  414 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  Virginia  Home. —  Unwelcome  Visitors. — Mr.  Harcourt 
Arrested  and  Released. — Dan  McCowan  makes  Forc- 
ible Love  to  Mary  Harcourt. —  The  Girl  in  Peril. — 
A  Timely  Rescue. —  The  Villain  Punished.  .  .  429 

ii 


xviii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

PAGE 

Curtis  Again  on  His  Travels. — A  Loving  Episode — Dan 
McCowan  Again  Turns  up. — The  Capture  of  Curtis. 
— A  Fight  for  Life. — And  Escape. — A  Bit  of  Mat- 
rimony. .  .  .  ...  .  445 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

McClellan  and  his  Enemies. — The  Peninsula  Campaign. — 
The  Rebel  Forces  Before  Richmond. — The  Union 
Forces  Outnumbered  by  the  Enemy,  and  their  Com- 
mander Hampered  by  Superiors. — An  Honest  Opin- 
ion. .......  457 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Webster's  Expedition. — His  Gallantry. — A  Stormy  Pas- 
sage.— A  Mysterious  Package. —  Treason  Discovered 
and  Punished.  .....  468 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Activity  in  Washington. —  Webster's  Journey  Through  the 

South.— His  Return  to  the  Capital.    .  .  .481 


CONTENTS.  xix 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

men 

Webster's  Last  Mission. — Anxiety  at  his  Long  Absence. 

— No  Tidings  of  the  Faithful  Scout. — Operatives  Sent 

in  Search  of  Him. —  Webster  III  in  Richmond.  485 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

McClellan  and  the  Government. — Lewis  and  Scully  Ar- 
rested as  Spies. — An  Attempted  Escape. —  Trial  and 
Conviction. — Condemned  to  Die. — Before  the  Gallows 
their  Mouths  are  Opened.  ....  498 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Webster  Arrested  as  a  Spy. — A  Woman  s  Devotion,  and 
a  Patriot's  Heroism. —  Webster  is  Convicted. —  The 
Execution. — A  Martyr  s  Grave.  .  .  .  530 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

The  Defeat  of  General  Pope  at  the  Second  Battle  of  Ma- 
nassas. — McClellan  A%ain  Called  to  the  Command. — 
The  Battle  of  A  ntietam. — A  Union  Victory. — A  Few 
Thoughts  About  the  Union  Commander. — McClel- 
lan's  Removal  from  Command,  and  His  Farewell 
Address.  ......  561 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


PAfJF. 


General  Burnside  in  Command. — My  Connection  with  the 
Secret  Service  Severed. — Reflections  upon  Important    - 
Events. — Conclusion.  ....  579 


APPENDIX. 587 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

ALLAN    PINKERTON  AND  GENERAL  MCCLELLAN 

IN    PRIVATE   CONSULTATION.        .       Frontispiece 
THE   OATH   TO   ASSASSINATE   THE   PRESIDENT  .     65 

SWEARING   IN   OF    HOWARD 76 

LINCOLN    RAISING   THE  OLD   FLAG.  .         .         -87 
THE    DEPARTURE   FOR   WASHINGTON.        .         .     94 
SAFE   ARRIVAL.  .         .  .         .         .98 

ATTEMPT   TO   CAPTURE  WEBSTER.     .        .         .146 

A   VISIT   TO  A   REBEL   CAMP 171 

TIMELY   WARNING.     .         .        .        .         .         -195 

THE   BARBER'S   RECOGNITION.    .         .        .        .201 

AN  ENGLISH  LORD  AND  A  REBEL  CAPTAIN.  215 
CAPTURED  BY  THE  GUARDS.  ..  <  .  .  260 
AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  FIRE-EATER.  .  -277 

[xxi] 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS, 

PAGE 

A   SUDDEN    INTRUSION    OF   THE   MILITARY.       .  299 

THE   SPY  is  ARRESTED.     .        .         .        .         .  334 

ESCAPE   OF  THE   SPY.         ...        .        .  339 

SCOBELL     ENGAGED     AS     DECK-HAND     ON     A 

STEAMBOAT.          .         .         .         .         .         .  364 

DEATH   OF  A   REBEL   SPY.          ....  389 

TIMELY   INTERRUPTION  TO  A  LOVE  SCENE.         .  441 

WEBSTER'S  GALLANT   BRAVERY.          .         .         .  474 

WEBSTER   DISCOVERS   A    MYSTERIOUS   PACKAGE.  475 

THE    PRISONERS   RECAPTURED.  .  '  .         .  522 

WEBSTER'S  DEATH   WARRANT.    ....  542 

A   NARROW   ESCAPE.          .  /  ,        .        .  569 


PREFACE. 


IV  T  EARLY  a  score  of  years  have  passed  since  the 
•*•  ^  occurrence  of  the  events  related  in  the  follow- 
ing pages.  The  "  Rebellion,"  with  its  bloody  scenes, 
has  ended,  and  the  country  is  at  peace.  The  grass  is 
waving  green  and  beautiful  over  many  Southern 
fields  that  once  ran  with  human  blood,  as  the  con- 
tending forces  met  in  the  deadly  encounter.  The 
birds  are  carolling  sweetly  in  the  air,  which  then  was 
laden  with  the  clarion  notes  of  the  trumpet ;  the 
fierce,  wild  yell  of  assaulting  soldiery  ;  the  booming  of 
cannon,  and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying. 
The  merchant,  the  mechanic,  and  the  husbandman 
have  returned  to  the  pursuits  which  they  followed 
before  the  dark  clouds  of  war  had  overshadowed  this, 
fair  land,  and  they  shouldered  their  muskets  in, 
defense  of  the  Union.  From  the  desolation  and  the 
ravages  of  war,  the  country  has  emerged  into  the 

[xxiii] 


xxiv  PREFACE. 

sunshine  of  abiding  peace,  and  now,  in  the  evening 
twilight,  the  gray-haired  veterans  gather  around  their 
family  hearthstones  to  repeat  the  stories  of  bravery 
and  devotion  associated  with  those  trying  hours  of 
their  country's  history. 

In  the  twilight  of  my  days  I  have  been  tempted 
to  the  recitals  which  follow,  and  in  relating  my 
experiences  as  the  Chief  of  the  Secret  Service  of  the 
Government  during  the  Rebellion,  I  have  been 
governed  by  a  desire  to  acquaint  the  public  with  the 
movements  of  those  brave  men  who  rendered  invalu- 
able service  to  their  country,  although  they  never 
wore  a  uniform  or  carried  a  musket.  Working 
quietly,  and  frequently  under  diguises,  their  assist- 
ance to  the  Union  commanders  was  of  incalculable 
advantage,  and  many  acts  of  courage  and  daring  were 
performed  by  these  men  which,  until  now,  have  never 
been  revealed.  Indeed,  as  to  my  own  nom-de-plume, 
"  E.  J.  Allen,"  many  of  the  officers  of  the  army  and 
officials  of  the  Government,  with  whom  I  was  in  con- 
stant communication,  never  knew  me  by  any  other 
name,  and  the  majority  of  them  are  to  this  day  in 
ignorance  of  the  fact  that  E.  J.  Allen,  late  Chief  of 
the  Secret  Service,  and  Allan  Pinkerton  are  one  and 
the  same  person. 

During  the  progress  of  the  struggle,  and  the  years 


PREFACE.  xxv 

which  have  since  elapsed,  many  of  my  old  acquaint- 
ances, who  held  important  positions  in  the  army  and 
in  governmental  departments,  have  passed  away  from 
earth.  Some  of  them  falling  in  the  heat  cf  battle, 
in  the  courageous  discharge  of  duty,  while  others, 
passing  through  the  fiery  ordeal,  have  died  amid 
the  comforts  and  the  charms  of  home. 

President  Lincoln,  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  William 
H.  Seward  and  Salmon  P.  Chase,  all  giants  in  their 
day,  have  departed  from  the  sphere  of  their  useful- 
ness, and  have  gone  to  their  long  home.  Soldiers 
and  civilians,  generals  and  privates,  with  whom  I  was 
connected,  and  their  name  is  legion,  have  taken  up 
their  journey  to  "  that  bourne  from  whence  no  traveler 
e'er  returns." 

In  detailing  the  various  events  which  follow,  I 
have  been  careful  to  offer  nothing  but  that  which 
actually  transpired.  I  have  avoided  giving  expres- 
sion to  any  thoughts  or  feelings  of  antagonism  to  the 
South,  because  the  time  for  such  utterances  has 
passed.  Indeed,  except  for  the  existence  of  slavery, 
I  always  cherished  a  warm  affection  for  the  Southern 
people.  But  this  institution  of  human  bondage 
always  received  my  most  earnest  opposition.  Believ- 
ing it  to  be  a  curse  to  the  American  nation,  and  an 
evidence  of  barbarism,  no  efforts  of  mine  were  ever 


xxvi  PREFACE, 

spared  in  behalf  of  the  slave,  and  to-day  I  have  not 
a  single  regret  for  the  course  I  then  pursued. 

Many  times  before  the  war,  when  I  was  associated 
with  those  philanthrophic  spirits  who  controlled  the 
so-called  "  Underground   Railroad,"   I   have  assisted 
in  securing  safety  and  freedom  for  the  fugitive  slave, 
no  matter  at  what  hour,  under  what  circumstances, 
or  at  what  cost,  the  act  was  to  be  performed.      John 
Brown,  the  white-haired  abolitionist  of  Kansas  fame, 
was  my  bosom  friend  ;  and  more  than  one  dark  night 
has  found  us  working  earnestly  together  in  behalf  of 
the    fleeing   bondman,    who     was    striving    for    his 
liberty.     After  his  gallant  effort  at   Harper's   Ferry, 
and  while   he  was  confined  in  a  Virginia  prison,  my 
efforts  in  his  behalf  were  unceasing  ;  and  had   it   not 
been  for  the  excessive  watchfulness  of  those  having 
him  in  charge,  the  pages  of  American  history  would 
never  have  been  stained  with  a  record  of  his  execu- 
tion.     As  it  is,   though  his  fate  may  have  been  in 
accordance  with  the  decrees  of  the  laws  then  existing, 
I  can   recall  with  all   the  old  enthusiasm  that  I  then 
experienced,   the  thundering  effect  of  thousands    of 
our  brave  "  boys  in  blue,"  joining  in  that  electric  war 
cry,  the  refrain  of  which  was  : 

"  John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
But  his  soul  goes  marching  along," 


PREFACE.  xxvii 

while  they   hurried   in  solid   phalanx   to    meet    the. 
enemy  upon  the  field  of  battle. 

In  the  preliminary  chapters,  I  have  detailed  with 
accuracy  the  facts  connected  with  the  conspiracy  to 
assassinate  Abraham  Lincoln,  when  he  was  first  elected 
to  the  Presidency.  The  part  I  took  in  discovering 
the  existence  of  that  plot  and  the  efforts  of  my  men 
in  ferreting  out  the  prime  movers  of  that  murderous 
compact,  are  told  for  the  first  time  in  these  pages, 
and  the  correctness  of  their  relation  is  undoubted  ; 
though  in  the  dark  days  that  followed,  the  bullet  of 
the  assassin  removed  the  martyred  President,  while 
engaged  in  the  fulfillment  of  hi's  mission.  I  cannot 
repress  a  sense  of  pride  in  the  fact,  that  at  the  com- 
mencement of  his  glorious  career  I  had  averted  the 
blow  that  was  aimed  at  his  honest,  manly  heart. 

In  the  events  which  transpired  during  the  years 
1 86 1  and  1862,  I  took  an  active  part.  From  the 
early  days  of  April  until  after  the  battle  of  Antietam 
had  been  fought  and  won,  I  was  connected  with  the 
military  operations  of  the  government.  In  Washing- 
ton I  acted  under  the  directions  of  the  Secretaries 
of  War,  and  Colonel  Andrew  Porter,  the  provost- 
marshal  ;  and  in  the  field,  I  was  under  the  immediate 
direction  of  General  George  B.  McClellan. 

My  relations  with  the  various  departments  were 


xxviii  PREFACE. 

always  of  the  most  cordial  and  confidential  character. 
To  particularize  in  this  matter  is  almost  impossible  ; 
but  I  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning,  in  the  highest 
terms  of  respect  and  friendship,  Colonel  Thomas 
A.  Scott  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
nation's  peril,  he  occupied  the  position  of  Assistant 
Secretary  of  War.  In  him  I  always  found  a  warm 
friend  and  advocate,  and  in  many  emergencies  his 
prompt  and  intelligent  action  was  most  potent  in  ac- 
complishing good  results  in  that  era  of  confusion,  of 
doubt  and  hesitation. 

Of  my  service  with  the  military  department  while 
in  active  duty,  little  needs  to  be  said  here.  From  the 
time  of  his  commission  by  Governor  Dennison  of 
Ohio,  to  the  day  when  he  was  relieved,  after  his 
splendid  victory  at  Antietam,  I  followed  the  fortunes 
of  General  McClellan.  Never  doubting  his  ability  or 
his  loyalty — always  possessing  his  confidence  and 
esteem,  I  am  at  this  time  proud  and  honored  in  rank- 
ing him  foremost  among  my  invaluable  friends. 
When  secret  enemies  were  endeavoring  to  prejudice 
the  mind  of  the  President  against  his  chosen  com- 
mander ;  when  wily  politicians  were  seeking  to  be- 
little him  in  the  estimation  of  the  people,  and  when 
jealous  minded  officers  were  ignorantly  criticising 
his  plans  of  campaign,  General  McClellan  pursued 


PREFACE.  xxix 

his  course  with  unflinching  courage  and  with  a  devo- 
tion to  his  country  unsurpassed  by  any  who  have 
succeeded  him,  and  upon  whose  brows  are  entwined 
the  laurels  of  the  conqueror. 

His  marvelous-  reorganization  of  the  army,  the 
enthusiasm  with  which  his  presence  invariably  in- 
spired the  soldiers  under  his  command,  and  the  grand 
battles  which  he  fought  against  enemies  in  front, 
and  in  rear,  have  all  passed  into  history — and  to-day 
the  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  reader  finds  in  a 
calm  and  dispassionate  review  of  his  career,  an  ample 
and  overwhelming  justification  of  his  course  as  a 
loyal  and  capable  commander-in-chief. 

Self-constituted  critics,  whose  avenues  of  informa- 
tion were  limited  and  unreliable,  have  attempted  to 
prove  that  the  force  opposed  to  General  McClellan 
was  much  less  than  was  really  the  case  ;  and  upon  this 
hypothesis  have  been  led  into  unjust  and  undeserved 
censure  of  the  commanding  general.  From  my  own 
experience,  I  know  to  the  contrary.  My  system  of 
obtaining  knowledge  upon  this  point  was  so  thorough 
and  complete,  my  sources  of  information  were  so 
varied,  that  there  could  be  no  serious  mistake  in  the 
estimates  which  I  then  made  and  reported  to  General 
McClellan.  From  every  available  field  the  facts  were 
gleaned.  From  prisoners  of  war,  contrabands,  loyal 


xxx  PREFACE. 

Southerners,  deserters,  blockade-runners  and  from 
actual  observations  by  trustworthy  scouts,  my  esti- 
mates were  made,  and  to-day  I  affirm  as  strongly  as 
I  then  did,  that  the  force  opposed  to  General  Mc- 
Clellan  before  Richmond  approximated  nearer  to 
200,000  men,  than  they  did  to  the  numerous  esti- 
mates of  irresponsible  historians  who  have  placed  the 
strength  of  the  rebel  forces  at  that  time  below 
100,000  men.  In  this  connection  I  must  refer  also 
to  the  valuable  assistance  rendered  both  General  Mc- 
Clellan  and  myself  by  that  indefatigable  Aid-de-camp 
Colonel  Key.  Though  he  no  longer  mingles  with 
the  things  of  earth,  the  memory  of  his  devotion  and 
his  intelligent  services  to  the  cause  of  the  Union  is 
imperishable.  No  truer,  braver  man  ever  drew  a 
sword  than  did  this  noble  and  efficient  staff  officer, 
now  deceased. 

Of  Timothy  Webster,  who  so  ably  assisted  me  in 
my  various  and  delicate  duties,  and  whose  life  was 
sacrificed  for  the  cause  he  held  so  dear,  I  have  only 
words  of  warmest  commendation.  Brave,  honest  and 
intelligent,  he  entered  into  the  contest  to  perform  his 
whole  duty,  and  right  nobly  did  he  fulfill  his  pledge, 
No  danger  was  too  great,  no  trust  too  responsible, 
no  mission  too  delicate  for  him  to  attempt,  and 
though  executed  as  a  spy  in  a  Richmond  prison,  his 


PREFACE.  xxxi 

name  shall  ever  be  cherished  with  honor  and  friend^ 
ship  by  those  who  knew  his  worth,  and  who  appre- 
ciated the  unswerving  devotion  of  a  loyal  heart.  No 
dishonor  can  ever  attach  to  the  memory  of  a  patriot 
who  died  in  the  service  of  his  country. 

The  events  narrated  have  all  occurred.  The  re- 
cord is  a  truthful  one.  Although  not  so  complete  as 
I  could  wish,  they  must  serve  the  purpose  for  which 
they  are  intended.  In  the  disastrous  fire  which  swept 
over  Chicago  in  1871,  my  records  were  mainly  de- 
stroyed, and  to  this  fact  must  be  attributed  the  failure 
to  more  elaborately  detail  the  multitudinous  opera- 
tions of  my  men.  With  the  able  assistance  of  Mr. 
George  H.  Bangs,  my  efficient  General  Superinten- 
dent, "  we  did  what  we  could,"  and  the  approbation 
of  our  commanding  officers  attest  the  efficiency  of 
our  efforts. 

After  leaving  the  service,  the  conduct  of  the  war 
passed  into  other  hands.  Other  men  were  chosen  to 
the  command  of  the  armies,  and  other  sources  of  in- 
formation were  resorted  to.  Succeeding  battles  have 
been  fought,  defeats  have  been  sustained,  victories 
have  been  achieved,  and  the  war  is  happily  ended. 
The  slave  is  free,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  rights 
of  citizenship.  The  country  is  at  peace,  her  prosperity 
is  assured,  and  now  that  passion  and  prejudice  have 


xxxn 


PREFACE. 


died  away,  and  honest  judgments  are  given  of  the 
events  that  have  transpired,  I  leave  to  the  impartial 
reader,  and  historian,  the  question  whether  the  course 
I  pursued,  and  the  General  whom  I  loved  and  'faith- 
fully served,  are  deserving  of  censure,  or  are  entitled 
to  the  praises  of  a  free  and  enlightened  people. 

ALLAN  PINKERTON. 


THE    SPY 


OF 


THE     REBELLION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

"An   Unwritten  Page  of  History" — A  Political  Resume". — 
Mr.  Lincoln  is  Elected  President. 

MANY  years  have  elapsed  since  the  occurrence 
of  the  events  which  I  am  about  to  relate. 
Years  that  have  been  full  of  mighty  import  to  the 
nation.  A  bitter,  prolonged  and  bloody  war  has  laid 
its  desolating  hands  upon  a  once  united  country. 
For  years  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  clash  of  steel 
reverberated  through  the  bright  valleys  and  the 
towering  hills  of  the  fruitful  South.  In  those  years 
when  brother  arose  against  his  brother,  when  ties  of 
kindred  and  association  were  broken  asunder  like  frail 
reeds,  glorious  deeds  were  wrought  and  grand  results 
have  been  accomplished.  America  has  taught  the 
world  a  lesson  of  bravery  and  endurance  ;  the  shackles 
3  [33] 


34  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

have  been  stricken  from  the  slave ;  an  error  of  a 
century  has  been  crushed,  and  freedom  is  now  no 
longer  an  empty  name,  but  a  beautiful  and  enduring 
realism. 

To-day  peace  spreads  her  broad,  sheltering  arms 
over  a  reunited  and  enlightened  nation.  The  roll  of 
the  drum  and  the  tramp  of  armed  men  are  now  no 
longer  heard.  North  and  South  have  again  clasped 
hands  in  a  renewal  of  friendship  and  in  a  perpetuity 
of  union. 

But  a  short  time  ago  a  Republican  President, 
elected  by  but  a  slight  majority  of  the  voters  of  this 
great  community,  left  his  peaceful  home  in  the  West 
and  journeyed  to  the  capital  of  the  nation,  to  take 
the  oath  of  office  and  to  assume  the  high  duties  of 
a  chief  magistrate.  As  he  passed  through  the 
towns  and  cities  upon  his  route  a  general  plaudit 
of  welcome  was  his  greeting,  even  noted  political 
foes  joining  in  the  demonstrations.  His  road  was 
arched  with  banners  and  his  path  was  strewn  with 
flowers.  Everywhere  he  found  an  enthusiasm  of 
welcome,  a  universal  prayer  for  success,  and  the 
triumphal  train  entered  the  capital  amid  the  ovations 
of  the  populace,  which  reached  almost  a  climax  of 
patriotic  and  effervescing  joy. 

Twenty  years  ago  witnessed  a  different  condition 
of  affairs.  The  political  horizon  was  dark  and  ob- 
scured. The  low  mutterings  of  the  storm  that  was 
soon  to  sweep  over  our  country,  and  to  deluge  our 


IS    ELECTED    PRESIDENT.  35 

fair  land  with  fratricidal  blood,  were  distinctly  heard. 
Sectional  differences  were  developing  into  wide- 
spread dissensions.  Cherished  institutions  were 
threatened  with  dissolution,  and  political  antagonism 
had  aroused  a  contented  people  into  a  frenzy  of  hate. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  May,  1856,  an  Ameri- 
can Senator  was  assaulted  in  the  Senate-house  by 
a  political  opponent  for  daring  to  give  utterance 
to  opinions  that  were  hostile  to  the  slave-holding 
interests  of  the  South.  Later  in  the  same  year  a 
Republican  candidate,  with  professed  anti-slavery 
views,  was  nominated  for  the  presidency,  and  al- 
though defeated,  gave  evidence  of  such  political 
strength  that  Southern  leaders  became  alarmed. 

At  this  time  the  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  a 
prominent  leader  of  the  Democratic  party,  but 
through  his  opposition  to  what  was  known  as  the  Le- 
compton  Bill,  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  polit- 
ical friends  of  the  South,  who  vainly  endeavored  to 
enact  such  legislation  as  would  practically  lead  to  his 
retirement  from  the  party. 

In  1858  the  famous  contest  between  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas  for  the  United 
States  Senatorship  from  Illinois  took  place,  and  dur- 
ing its  progress  absorbed  public  attention  throughout 
the  country.  The  two  candidates  indulged  in  open 
discussions  of  questions  of  public  policy,  which  were 
remarkable  for  their  brilliancy  and  for  the  force  and 
vigor  with  which  their  different  views  were  uttered. 


36  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

It  was  during  this  canvass  that  Mr.  Lincoln  made  the 
forcible  and  revolutionizing  declaration  that :  "  The 
Union  cannot  permanently  endure  half  slave  and  half 
free."  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated,  however,  and  Mr. 
Douglas  was  returned  to  the  Senate,  much  against 
the  wishes  of  those  Democrats  who  desired  the  un- 
limited extension  of  the  institution  of  Slavery. 

In  the  following  year  occurred  the  slave  insurrec- 
tion in  Virginia,  under  the  leadership  of  that  bold 
abolitionist,  John  Brown.  The  movement  was  frus- 
trated, however,  and  John  Brown,  after  a  judicial  trial 
for  his  offense,  was  sentenced  to  be  hung.  Up  to 
the  day  of  his  execution  he  remained  firm  in  the  belief 
that  he  had  but  performed  his  duty  toward  enslaved 
humanity,  and  he  died  avowing  the  justice  of  his 
cause  and  the  hope  of  its  ultimate  success. 

All  of  these  occurrences  tended  to  engender  a 
spirit  of  fierce  opposition  in  the  minds  of  the  South- 
ern leaders.  The  growing  sentiment  of  abolitionism 
throughout  the  North,  and  the  manifest  disposition  to 
prevent  its  increase  or  extension,  aroused  the  advo- 
cates of  Slavery  to  a  degree  of  alarm,  which  led  to 
the  commission  of  many  actions,  both  absurd  and 
unjustifiable. 

The  year  of  1860  opened  upon  a  scene  of  political 
agitation  which  threatened  to  disrupt  long  united  as- 
sociations, and  to  erect  sectional  barriers  which  ap- 
peared almost  impossible  to  overcome. 

In  April,  1860,  the  Democratic  National  Conven- 


IS    ELECTED    PRESIDENT.  37 

tion  assembled  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  for  the 
purpose  of  nominating  a  candidate  for  the  presidency. 
During  its  session  loud  and  angry  debates  occurred, 
in  which  the  Southern  element  indeavored  to  obtain 
a  strong  indorsement  of  the  institution  of  Slavery, 
and  of  the  right  to  carry  slaves  into  the  Territories  of 
the  United  States.  They  were  met  by  the  more  con- 
servative portion  of  the  party,  who  desired  to  leave 
the  question  to  be  decided  by  the  States  themselves. 
After  a  prolonged  discussion  the  majority  of  the 
Southern  States  withdrew  their  delegates  from  the 
convention,  and  the  remainder  proceeded  to  ballot  for 
a  candidate  of  their  choice. 

After  a  protracted  sitting,  during  which  several 
ballots  were  taken  and  no  decided  result  obtained,  the 
convention  adjourned,  to  meet  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more on  the  eighteenth  day  of  June  succeeding. 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  received  a  large  per- 
centage of  the  votes  that  were  cast,  but  failed  to 
obtain  a  sufficient  number  to  secure  his  nomina- 
tion. 

The  withdrawing  delegates  organized  a  rival  con- 
vention, but,  without  transacting  any  business  of  a  de- 
cisive character,  also  adjourned,  to  meet  in  Baltimore 
at  a  date  nearly  coincident  with  that  of  the  regular 
body. 

On  the  nineteenth  day  of  May,  the  Constitutional 
Union  (being  the  old  American)  party  held  their  con- 
vention in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  nominated  John 


38  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

Bell,  of  Tennessee,  for  President,  and  Edward  Everett, 
of  Massachusetts,  for  the  Vice-Presidency, 

The  Republican  Convention  was  held  on  the 
sixteenth  day  of  May,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  upon 
the  third  ballot  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln,  of  Illi- 
nois, for  the  office  of  President,  and  Hannibal  Ham- 
lin,  of  Maine,  for  the  second  office. 

This  convention  also  adopted  a  platform  very 
pronounced  upon  the  subject  of  Slavery,  and  which 
was  calculated  to  give  but  little  encouragement  to  the 
extension  or  perpetuity  of  the  slave-holding  power. 

On  the  eighteenth  day  of  June  the  regular  Demo- 
cratic Convention  assembled,  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment, in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  named  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  and  Herschel  V.  Johnson,  of 
Georgia,  as  their  standard-bearers  in  the  political 
conflict  that  was  to  ensue. 

* 

On  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  the  same  month  the 
seceding  delegates  met  in  the  same  city,  and  after 
pronouncing  their  ultra  views  upon  the  question  of 
Slavery,  nominated  John  C.  Breckinridge,  of  Kentucky 
(then  the  Vice-President  of  the  country),  and  General 
Joseph  Lane,  of  Oregon,  as  the  candidates  of  their 
choice. 

The  lines  of  battle  were  now  drawn,  and  from 
that  time  until  the  election,  in  November,  a  fierce 
contest  was  waged  between  the  opposing  parties. 
Never  before  in  the  history  of  parties  was  a  canvass 
conducted  with  more  bitterness  or  with  a  greater 


SS    ELECTED    PRESIDENT.  39 

amount  of  vituperation.  The  whole  country  was 
engrossed  with  the  gigantic  struggle.  Business  inter- 
ests, questions  of  finance  and  of  international  import 
were  all  made  subservient  to  the  absorbing  considera- 
tion of  the  election  of  a  national  President. 

The  Southern  "  Fire-eaters,"  as  they  were  called, 
fully  realized  their  inability  to  elect  the  candidates 
they  had  named,  but  strove  with  all  their  power  to 
prevent  the  success  of  the  regular  Democratic  nomi- 
nees, and  when  at  last  the  day  of  election  came,  and 
the  votes  were  counted,  it  was  found  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  had  been  victorious  and  that  Abrahm 
Lincoln  had  been  elected. 

In  many  portions  of  the  South  this  result  was 
hailed  with  joyful  enthusiasm.  The  anti-slavery  pro- 
clivities of  the  successful  party  was  instantly  made  a 
plausible  pretext  for  secession  and  the  withdrawal  of 
the  slave-holding  States  from  the  Union  was  boldly 
advocated. 

The  same  power  that  threatened  in  1856,  in  the 
words  of  Governor  Wise  of  Virginia  :  "  That  if  Fre- 
mont had  been  elected,  he  would  have  marched  at 
the  head  of  twenty  thousand  men  to  Washington,  and 
taken  possession  of  the  capital,  preventing  by  force 
Fremont's  inauguration  at  that  place" — was  again 
aroused,  and  an  open  opposition  to  the  Republican 
inauguration  was  for  a  time  considered. 

The  absorbing  and  exciting  question  in  the  South 
was  :  "  Would  the  South  submit  to  a  Black  Repub- 


40  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

lican  President  and  a  Black  Republican  Congress  ?" 
and  the  answer  to  the  question  was  a  loud  and  deci- 
sive negative. 

Among  the  bolder  advocates  of  secession  the  elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  regarded  with  pleasure,  and 
meetings  were  held  in  Charleston,  rejoicing  in  the 
triumph  of  the  Republican  party.  Secession  and  dis- 
union were  loudly  advocated,  and  the  slave  oligarchy 
of  South  Carolina  regarded  this  event  as  the  oppor- 
tunity to  achieve  her  long-cherished  purpose  of  break- 
ing up  the  Union,  and  forming  a  new  confederacy, 
founded  upon  the  peculiar  ideas  of  the  South. 

Says  Horace  Greeley  :  "  Men  thronged  the  streets, 
talking,  laughing,  cheering,  like  mariners  long  be- 
calmed upon  a  hateful,  treacherous  sea,  when  a  sud- 
den breeze  had  swiftly  wafted  them  within  sight  of 
their  looked  for  haven,  or  like  a  seedy  prodigal,  just 
raised  to  affluence  by  the  death  of  some  far-off,  un- 
known relative,  and  whose  sense  of  decency  is  not 
strong  enough  to  repress  his  exultation." 

Open  threats  were  made  to  withdraw  at  once  from 
the  Union,  and  these  demonstrations  seemed  to  find 
sympathy  among  other  nations  than  our  own,  and 
soon  foreign  intrigue  was  hand  and  glove  with  domes- 
tic treason,  in  the  attempt  to  sap  the  foundations  of 
our  government,  and  seeking  peculiar  advantages  from 
its  overthrow. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  detail  the  various  phases  of 
this  great  agitation,  which,  firing  the  Southern  heart 


JS    ELECTED    PRESIDENT.  41 

with  the  frenzy  of  disunion,  finally  led  to  the  seces- 
sion of  the  Southern  States.  Various  compromises 
were  attempted,  but  all  failed  of  beneficial  result. 
The  "  masterly  inactivity  "  of  the  administration  con- 
tributed in  no  small  degree  to  the  accomplishment  of 
this  object,  and  in  the  end  the  Southern  Confederacy 
was  organized  and  Jefferson  Davis  was  elected  as  its 
President. 

The  Palmetto  waved  over  the  custom-house  and 
post-office  at  Charleston ;  government  forts  and 
arsenals  were  seized  by  the  volunteers  to  the  South- 
ern cause,  and  on  February  i,  1861,  the  Federal  mint 
and  custom-house  at  New  Orleans  were  taken  posses- 
sion of  by  the  secessionists. 

The  removal  of  Major  Anderson  from  Fort  Moul- 
trie  to  the  more  secure  stronghold  of  Fort  Sumter, 
in  Charleston  harbor,  had  been  accomplished,  and  as 
yet  no  measures  had  been  taken  by  the  government 
to  prevent  further  demonstrations  of  a  warlike  charac- 
ter on  the  part  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  The 
administration  remained  passive  and  inert,  while  every 
effort  was  being  made  to  calm  the  public  fears  of  hos- 
tilities, and  the  organization  of  an  open  revolt. 

The  city  of  Baltimore  was,  at  this  time,  a  slave- 
holding  city,  and  the  spirit  of  Slavery  was  nowhere 
else  more  rampant  and  ferocious.  The  mercantile  and 
social  aristocracy  of  that  city  had  been  sedulously  and 
persistently  plied,  by  the  conspirators  for  disunion, 
with  artful  and  tempting  suggestions  of  her  future 


42  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

greatness  and  advancement  as  the  chief  city  of  the 
new  government. 

If  a  Confederacy  composed  of  the  fifteen  slave- 
holding  States  was  organized,  Baltimore,  it  was  urged, 
would  naturally  be  the  chief  city  of  the  new  Republic. 
In  time  it  would  become  the  rival  of  New  York,  and 
occupy  to  the  Confederacy  the  same  relations  which 
New  York  does  to  the  Union,  and  would  be  the  great 
ship-building,  shipping,  importing  and  commercial 
emporium. 

These  glittering  prophecies  had  not  been  uttered 
without  effect.  The  ambition  of  the  aristocracy  was 
aroused.  Already  they  saw  the  ocean  whitened  with 
her  sails,  and  the  broad  domain  of  Maryland  adorned 
with  the  palaces  reared  from  her  ample  and  ever-ex- 
panding profits.  Under  these  hallucinations,  their 
minds  were  corrupted,  and  they  seemed  eager  to  rush 
into  treason. 

Being  a  border  State,  Maryland  occupied  a  posi- 
tion of  particular  importance.  Emissaries  were  sent 
to  her  from  South  Carolina  and  elsewhere,  and  no 
effort  was  spared  to  secure  her  co-operation  in  these 
revolutionary  movements.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
they  were  too  successful,  and  the  result  was  that  the 
majority  of  the  wealthier  classes  and  those  in  office 
were  soon  in  sympathy  with  the  rebellion,  and  the 
spirit  of  domestic  treason,  for  a  time,  swept  like  a 
tornado  over  the  State. 

Added    to   the   wealthier  classes   was   the   mob 


IS    ELECTED    PRESIDENT.  43 

element  of  the  city  of  Baltimore — reckless  and 
unscrupulous,  as  mobs  generally  are — and  this  portion 
of  her  community  were  avowedly  in  full  accord  with 
the  prospective  movement,  and  ready  to  do  tlie 
bidding  of  the  slave  power.  Between  these,  however, 
there  existed  a  great  middle  class,  who  were  loyally 
and  peacefully  inclined.  But  this  class,  large  as  it 
was,  had  hitherto  been  divided  in  their  political 
opinions,  and  had  as  yet  arrived  at  no  common  and 
definite  understanding  with  regard  to  the  novel 
circumstances  of  the  country  and  the  events  which 
seemed  to  be  visibly  impending. 

The  government  of  the  city  of  Baltimore  was 
under  the  control  of  that  branch  of  the  Democracy 
who  supported  Breckinridge,  and  who  had  attained 
power  under  a  popular  cry  for  reform,  and  it  was  soon 
learned  that  these  leaders  were  deep  in  the  counsels 
of  the  secessionists. 

The  newspaper  press  was  no  small  factor  of  this 
excitement — their  utterances  had  much  to  do  in  lead- 
ing public  opinion,  and  though  their  efforts  "  to  fire 
the  Southern  heart,"  many  were  led  to  sanction  the 
deeds  of  violence  and  outrage  which  were  contem- 
plated. 

Especial  efforts  had  been  made  to  render  Mr. 
Lincoln  personally  odious  and  contemptible,  and  his 
election  formed  the  pretexts  of  these  reckless  con- 
spirators, who  had  long  been  plotting  the  overthrow 
of  the  Union.  No  falsehood  was  too  gross,  no  state- 


44  ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 

ment  too  exaggerated,  to  be  used  for  that  purpose, 
and  so  zealously  did  these  misguided  men  labor  in  the 
cause  of  disunion,  and  so  systematically  concerted 
was  their  action,  that  the  mass  of  the  people  of  the  slave 
States  were  made  to  believe  that  this  pure,  patient, 
humane,  Christian  statesman  was  a  monster  whose 
vices  and  passions  made  him  odious,  and  whose 
political  beliefs  made  him  an  object  of  just  abhorrence. 
This  was  the  condition  of  affairs  at  the  dawning 
of  the  year  1861. 


A    COUNCIL    OF    WAR. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Opposition  to  Mr.  Lincoln  s  Inauguration. — A  Plot  to  Assassi- 
nate him. —  The  Journey  from  Springfield. 

WITH  the  opening  of  the  new  year,  the  political 
condition  evinced  alarming  symptoms.  As 
the  day  of  the  inauguration  of  the  new  President  drew 
near,  the  excitement  became  intense.  Loud  threats 
were  made  that  Mr.  Lincoln  should  never  be  per- 
mitted to  take  the  oath  of  office,  and  the  hostility  of 
the  South  manifested  itself  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
excite  the  fears  of  those  who  desired  the  peaceful 
solution  of  the  important  question  of  continued 
union. 

The  events  about  to  be  related  have  been  for  a 
long  time  shrouded  in  a  veil  of  mystery.  While 
many  are  aware  that  a  plot  existed  at  this  time  to 
assassinate  the  President-elect  upon  his  contemplated 
journey  to  the  capital,  but  few  have  any  knowledge 
of  the  mode  by  which  the  conspiracy  was  detected,  or 
the  means  employed  to  prevent  the  accomplishment 
of  that  murderous  design. 

Considerations  which  affected  the  personal  safety 
of  those  who  actively  participated  in  this  detection, 
precluded  a  disclosure  at  the  time,  but  that  such  a 

[45] 


4  6  A     PLOT    TO 

conspiracy  existed  no  doubt  can  be  entertained.  Now, 
however,  that  the  dark  clouds  have  passed  away,  and 
the  bright  sunshine  of  an  enduring  peace  is  throwing 
its  beneficient  rays  over  a  united  country,  the  truth 
may  be  disclosed,  and  a  desire  to  peruse  a  hidden 
page  of  history  may  now  be  gratified. 

Early  in  the  year  1861  I  was  at  my  headquarters 
in  the  city  of  Chicago,  attending  to  the  manifold  duties 
of  my  profession.  I  had,  of  course,  perused  the  daily 
journals  which  contained  the  reports  of  doings  of  the 
malcontents  of  the  South,  but  in  common  with  others, 
I  entertained  no  serious  fears  of  an  open  rebellion, 
and  was  disposed  to  regard  the  whole  matter  as  of 
trivial  importance.  The  same  tones  had  been  listened 
to  before,  and  although  the  disunionists  had  hitherto 
never  taken  such  aggressive  steps,  I  was  inclined  to 
believe  that  with  the  incoming  of  the  new  administra- 
tion, determined  or  conciliatory  measures  would  be 
adopted,  and  that  secession  and  rebellion  would  be 
either  averted  or  summarily  crushed. 

At  this  time  I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Samuel 
H.  Felton,  the  president  of*"  The  Philadelphia,  Wil- 
mington and  Baltimore  Railroad,"  requesting  my 
presence  in  Philadelphia  upon  a  matter  of  great  im- 
portance. From  his  communication  it  appeared  that 
rumors  were  afloat  as  to  the  intention  of  the  roughs 
and  secessionists  of  Maryland  to  injure  the  road  of 
which  he  was  the  President.  From  what  had  already 
been  learned,  it  was  feared  that  their  designs  were  to 


ASSASSINATE     THE    PRESIDENT.}  47 

prevent  travel  upon  the  road  either  by  destroying  the 
ferry-boats  which  then  carried  the  trains  across  the 
Susquehanna  river  at  Havre  de  Grace  or  by  demol- 
ishing the  railroad  bridges  over  the  Gunpowder  river 
and  other  streams.  This  road  was  the  great  con- 
necting link  between  the  metropolis  of  the  country 
and  the  capital  of  the  nation,  and  it  was  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  no  interruption  should  be  permitted 
to  the  free  communication  between  Washington  and 
the  great  cities  of  the  North  and  West. 

This  letter  at  once  aroused  me  to  a  realization  of 
the  danger  that  threatened  the  country,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  render  whatever  assistance  was  in  my 
power  towards  preventing  the  successful  operation  of 
these  ill-advised  and  dangerous  men. 

I  lost  no  time,  therefore,  in  making  my  arrange- 
ments, and  soon  after  receiving  Mr.  Felton's  commu- 
nication, in  company  with  four  members  of  my  force 
was  upon  the  train  speeding  towards  Philadelphia. 
Upon  arriving  in  that  city,  I  went  directly  to  the 
office  of  Mr.  Felton  and  obtained  from  him  all  the  in- 
formation he  possessed  of  the  movements  and  designs 
of  the  Maryland  secessionists.  I  also  had  a  consul- 
tation with  Mr.  H.  F.  Kenney,  the  superintendent  of 
the  road,  with  reference  to  a  plan  of  operation  which 
I  proposed,  and  which  was  considered  would  result  in 
obtaining  the  information  so  much  to  be  desired. 

I  resolved  to  locate  my  men  at  the  various  towns 
along  the  road,  selecting  such  places  where,  it  was 


48  A     PLOT    TO 

believed,  disaffection  existed.  With  a  view,  therefore, 
of  acquiring  the  facts  necessary  for  an  intelligent  prose- 
cution of  the  inquiry,  I  took  passage  on  one  of  the  trains 
of  the  road,  intending  to  see  for  myself  how  affairs 
stood,  and  to  distribute  my  men  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
me  seemed  best. 

At  the  city  of  Wilmington,  in  Delaware,  I  found 
evidences  of  a  great  political  excitement,  but  nothing 
that  indicated  a  hostile  disposition  or  which  led  me 
to  believe  that  any  danger  was  to  be  apprehended  at 
this  place.  Nothing  that  savored  of  organization  was 
apparent,  and  I  was  therefore  compelled  to  look  fur- 
ther for  the  existence  of  any  antagonism  to  the  rail- 
road or  any  desire  to  prevent  the  running  of  their 
trains. 

At  Perryville  I  found  the  same  excitable  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  but  nothing  of  a  more  aggressive 
character  than  at  Wilmington,  Men  indulged  in 
fierce  arguments,  in  which  both  sides  were  forcibly 
represented,  but  aside  from  this  I  discovered  no 
cause  for  apprehension,  and  no  occasion  for  active 
detective  work  as  yet. 

At  Havre  de  Grace,  however,  the  lines  were  more 
clearly  drawn  and  the  popular  feeling  much  more  bit- 
ter. It  was  at  this  point  that  the  boats  which  carried 
the  trains .  crossed  the  Susquehanna  river,  and  where 
serious  damage  might  be  done  to  the  company, 
should  the  ferries  be  destroyed.  I  therefore  left  one 
man  at  this  place,  with  instructions  to  become  ac- 


ASSASSINATE     THE    PRESIDENT.  49 

quainted  with  such  men  as  he  might,  on  observation, 
consider  suspicious,  and  to  endeavor  to  obtain  from 
them,  by  association,  a  knowledge  of  their  intentions. 

At  Perrymansville,  in  Maryland,  the  feeling  was 
considerably  more  intense.  Under  the  influence  of 
bad  men  the  secession  movement  had  gained  many 
supporters  and  sympathizers.  Loud  threats  were  ut- 
tered against  the  railroad  company,  and  it  was  boast- 
fully asserted  that  "no  d — d  abolitionist  should  be 
allowed  to  pass  through  the  town  alive." 

I  have  always  found  it  a  truism  that  "a  barking 
dog  never  bites,"  and  although  I  had  but  little  fear 
that  these  blatant  talkers  would  perform  any  danger- 
ous deeds,  I  considered  it  best  to  be  fully  posted  as 
to  their  movements,  in  order  to  prevent  a  catastrophe, 
if  possible. 

I  accordingly  directed  Timothy  Webster,  a  daring 
and  discreet  man  upon  my  force,  to  locate  himself  at 
this  point,  and  to  carefully  note  everything  that 
transpired  which  had  any  relation  to  attempted  vio- 
lence or  a  disposition  to  resort  to  aggressive  meas- 
ures. 

As  I  neared  the  city  of  Baltimore  the  opposition 
to  the  government  and .  the  sympathy  with  secession 
was  manifestly  more  intense.  At  Magnolia,  particu- 
larly, I  observed  a  very  dangerous  feeling,  and  among 
men  of  all  classes  the  general  sentiment  was  in  favor 
of  resistance  and  force.  Another  operative,  John 
Seaford,  was  accordingly  left  at  this  place,  with  in- 

4 


So  A    PLOT    TO 

structions  similar  to  those  which  had  been  given  to 
the  others. 

,  , '  I  then  proceeded  on  to  Baltimore,  and  there  I 
found  the  greatest  amount  of  excitement  that  I  had 
yet  experienced.  I  took  quarters  at  the  Howard 
House,  and  proceeded  to  inquire  closely  and  carefully 
into  the  political  situation.  I  soon  found  that  the 
fears  of  the  railroad  officials  were  not  wholly  without 
foundation.  The  opposition  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  inaugu- 
ration was  most  violent  and  bitter,  and  a  few  days' 
sojourn  in  this  city  convinced  me  that  great  danger 
was  to  be  apprehended,  and  that  the  sentiment  of  dis- 
union was  far  more  widespread  and  deeply  rooted 
than  I  had  before  imagined. 

The  police  force  of  the  city  was  under  the  control 
of  Marshal  George  P.  Kane,  and  was  almost  entirely 
composed  of  men  with  disunion  proclivities.  Their 
leader  was  pronouncedly  in  favor  of  secession,  and 
by  his  orders  the  broadest  license  was  given  to  dis- 
orderly persons  and  to  the  dissemination  of  insurrec- 
tionary information.  This  individual  was  subse- 
quently arrested,  and,  after  a  brief  sojourn  in  Fort 
McHenry,  fled  in  1863  to  the  more  congenial  associ- 
ations of  Richmond. 

From  the  knowledge  I  gained  of  the  situation  in 
Baltimore,  I  resolved  to  establish  my  headquarters  in 
that  city.  I  accordingly  engaged  a  building  situated 
on  South  street,  and  in  a  position  where  I  could  re- 
ceive prompt  reports  from  all  quarters  of  the  metrop- 


ASSASSINATE     THE    PRESIDENT.  51 

olis.  I  also  sent  for  an  additional  force  of  men, 
whom  I  distributed  among  the  people  of  all  grades 
and  conditions  of  life.  The  building  I  had  selected 
was  admirably  adapted  for  my  purpose,  and  was  so 
constructed  that  entrance  could  be  gained  to  it  from 
all  four  sides,  through  alleyways  that  led  in  from 
neighboring  streets. 

Day  by  day,  the  reports  of  my  men  contained 
many  important  revelations  of  the  designs  of  the 
opposition,  and  as  a  matter  of  additional  precaution, 
I  advised  Mr.  Felton  to  employ  a  small  number  of 
men  to  guard  the  various  bridges  and  ferries,  who 
could  be  warned  in  time  to  resist  attack  should  such 
be  made. 

The  chief  opposition  seemed  to  be  to  the  inaugu- 
ration of  President  Lincoln,  and  the  plan  of  the  con- 
spirators was  to  excite  and  exasperate  the  popular 
feeling  against  the  President-elect  to  the  utmost,  and 
so  successfully  had  this  been  done  that  a  majority 
of  the  wealthier  classes,  with  few  exceptions — those  in 
office — and  the  mob  element  in  general  were  in  full 
accord  in  their  desire  to  prevent  the  inauguration 
from  taking  place. 

On  the  eleventh  day  of  February,  Mr.  Lincoln, 
with  a  few  of  his  personal  friends,  left  his  quiet  home 
in  Springfield  to  enter  upon  that  tempestuous  politi- 
cal career  which  eventually  carried  him  to  a  martyr's 
grave.  Among  the  party  who  accompanied  the 
President  were  Norman  B.  Judd,  Esq.,  Col.  Ward 


52  A    PLOT     TO 

H.  Lamon,  Judge  Davis,  Col.  Sumner,  a  brave  and 
impetuous  officer,  Major  Hunter,  Capt.  John  Pope, 
Col.  Ellsworth,  whose  heroic  death  took  place  shortly 
afterwards,  and  John  G.  Nicolay,  the  President's 
private  secretary. 

As  the  President  was  about  leaving  his  home,  the 
people  turned  out  en  masse  to  bid  him  farewell,  and 
to  them  Mr.  Lincoln  addressed  the  following  pathetic 
words  of  parting  : 

"  My  Friends :  No  one  who  has  never  been  placed 
in  a  like  position  can  understand  my  feelings  at  this 
hour,  nor  the  oppressive  sadness  I  feel  at  this  part- 
ing. For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  I  have 
lived  among  you,  and  during  all  that  time  I  have 
received  nothing  but  kindness  at  your  hands.  Here 
I  have  lived  from  youth  until  now  I  am  an  old  man  ; 
here  the  most  sacred  ties  of  earth  were  assumed  ; 
here  all  my  children  were  born,  and  here  one  of  them 
lies  buried.  To  you,  dear  friends,  I  owe  all  that  I 
have,  and  all  that  I  am.  All  the  strange  checkered 
past  seems  now  to  crowd  upon  my  mind.  To-day  I 
leave  you.  I  go  to  assume  a  task  more  difficult  than 
that  which  devolved  upon  Washington.  Unless  the 
great  God  who  assisted  him  shall  be  with  me  and  aid 
me,  I  must  fail  ;  but  if  the  same  Omniscient  Mind  and 
Almighty  Arm  that  directed  and  protected  him  shall 
guide  and  support  me,  I  shall  not  fail — I  shall  suc- 
ceed. Let  us  all  pray  that  the  God  of  our  fathers 
may  not  forsake  us  now.  To  Him  I  commend  you 
all.  Permit  me  to  ask  that  with  equal  sincerity  and 
faith  you  will  invoke  His  wisdom  and  guidance  for 


ASSASSINATE    THE    PRESIDENT.  53 

me.  With  these  few  words  I  must  leave  you,  for 
how  long  I  know  not.  Friends,  one  and  all,  I  must 
bid  you  an  affectionate  farewell." 

How  touchingly  simple  and  earnest  seem  these  ' 
words.  A  strange  and  almost  weird  presentiment  of 
grief  and  suffering  give  his  utterances  a  pathos  that 
becomes  profoundly  impressive  when  linked  with 
subsequent  events.  How  prophetic  too — full  of  tears 
and  fraught  with  the  prescience  of  a  future  terrible 
and  bloody  war — they  bear  yet  an  echo  like  that  of 
the  voice  that  sounded  in  the  ear  of  Halleck's  dying 
hero — for  surely  in  their  tones  are  heard  the  thanks 
of  millions  yet  to  be.  How  more  than  prophetic  they 
seemed  when,  four  years  later,  "  a  funeral  train, 
covered  with  the  emblems  of  splendid  mourning, 
rolled  into  the  same  city,  bearing  a  corpse  whose 
obsequies  were  being  celebrated  in  every  part  of  the 
civilized  world." 

From  Springfield  the  passage  was  a  perfect  con- 
tinuous ovation.  Cities  and  towns,  villages  and 
hamlets,  vied  with  each  other  in  testifying  their 
devotion  to  Union  and  their  determination  to  uphold 
the  chief  magistrate  in  the  great  trial  before  him. 
Immense  crowds  surrounded  the  stations  at  which 
the  special  train  halted,  and  in  the  cities  of  Indi- 
anapolis, Cincinnati,  Columbus,  Pittsburg,  Cleveland, 
Erie,  Buffalo,  Albany,  New  York,  Trenton,  New- 
ark, Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg,  public  demon- 
strations  of  an  imposing  character  were  given  in  his 


54  A    PLOT    TO 

honor,  and  vast  concourses  of  people  assembled  to 
greet  him.  Everywhere  he  was  received  and  honored 
*  as  the  chief  of  a  free  people,  and  in  reply  to  compli- 
mentary addresses  which  he  day  by  day  received,  the 
President  endeavored  to  utter  cheering  words,  and 
indicated  a  disbelief  in  any  bloody  issue  of  our 
domestic  complications. 

On  the  day  prior  to  the  departure  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
from  his  home,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  master 
mechanic  of  the  railroad,  of  which  the  following  is  an 
extract  : 

"  I  am  informed  that  a  son  of  a  distinguished 
citizen  of  Maryland  said  that  he  had  taken  an  oath 
with  others  to  assassinate  Mr.  Lincoln  before  he  gets 
to  Washington,  and  they  may  attempt  to  do  it  while  he 
is  passing  over  our  road.  I  think  you  had  better  look 
after  this  man,  if  possible.  This  information  is 
perfectly  reliable.  I  have  nothing  more  to  say  at 
this  time,  but  will  try  to  see  you  in  a  few  days." 

This  communication  was  confirmatory  of  reports 
of  an  indefinite  character  which  had  reached  me  prior 
to  this,  and  the  information  was  far  too  important  to 
be  disregarded.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  probe 
the  matter  to  the  bottom,  and  obtaining  the  authority 
of  Mr.  Felton  for  such  action,  I  immediately  set  about 
the  discovery  of  the  existence  of  the  conspiracy  and 
the  intention  of  its  organization,  and  then,  if  coolness, 
courage  and  skill  could  save  the  life  of  Mr.  Lincoln, 
and  prevent  the  revolution  which  would  inevitably 


ASSASSINATE     THE    PRESIDENT.  55 

follow  his  violent  death,  I  felt  sure  of  accomplishing 
it. 

My  plans  were  soon  perfected,  and  they  were  to 
have  several  of  my  men,  together  with  myself,  an- 
nounced as  residents  of  Charleston  and  New  Orleans, 
and  by  assuming  to  be  secessionists  of  the  most  ultra 
type,  to  secure  entrance  into  their  secret  societies  and 
military  organizations,  and  thus  become  possessed  of 
their  secret  designs.  In  looking  over  the  qualifica- 
tions of  the  members  of  my  corps  I  found  two  men 
admirably  adapted  to  the  object  I  had  in  view.  They 
were  both  young  and  both  fully  able  to  assume  and 
successfully  carry  out  the  character  of  a  hot-blooded, 
fiery  secessionist. 

One  of  these  men,  whom  I  shall  call  Joseph 
Howard,  was  a  young  man  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance, and  of  insinuating  manners.  He  was  of  French 
descent,  and  in  his  youth  had  been  carefully  educated 
for  a  Jesuit  priest,  but  finding  the  vocation  distasteful 
to  him,  he  had  abandoned  it.  Added  to  his  collegiate 
studies,  he  possessed  the  advantage  of  extensive 
foreign  travel,  and  the  ability  to  speak,  with  great 
facility,  several  foreign  languages.  He  had  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  South,  its  localities,  prejudices, 
customs  and  leading  men,  which  had  been  derived 
from  several  years  residence  in  New  Orleans  and 
other  Southern  cities,  and  was  gifted  with  the  power 
of  adaptation  to  persons  whom  they  wish  to  influence, 
so  popularly  attributed  to  the  Jesuits. 


56  A     PLOT    TO 

Howard  was  instructed  to  assume  the  character  of 
an  extreme  secessionist,  to  obtain  quarters  at  one  of 
the  first-class  hotels,  and  register  his  name,  with 
residence  at  New  Orleans.  This  was  done  because 
he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  city,  having  resided 
there  for  a  long  time,  and  was  consequently  enabled 
to  talk  familiarly  of  prominent  individuals  of  that  city 
whom  he  had  met. 

The  other  man  whom  I  selected  for  this  impor- 
tant work  was  Timothy  Webster.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  physical  strength  and  endurance,  skilled  in  all 
athletic  sports,  and  a  good  shot.  Possessed  of  a 
strong  will  and  a  courage  that  knew  no  fear,  he  was 
the  very  man  to  operate  upon  the  middle  and  lower 
classes  who  composed  the  disunion  element. 

His  subsequent  career  as  a  Union  spy — one  of 
the  most  perilous  and  thankless  positions — and  his 
ignominious  death  at  Richmond,  at  the  hands  of  the 
rebels,  have  passed  into  history,  but  no  historian  will 
ever  relate  the  thousand  perils  through  which  he  passed 
in  the  service  of  his  country  ;  of  his  boldness  and  in- 
genuity in  acquiring  information  that  was  of  incalcu- 
lable value  to  the  Union  officers,  nor  of  his  wonderful 
fertility  of  invention,  which  frequently  enabled  him  to 
escape  from  dangers  which  would  have  appalled  a 
less  brave  or  less  devoted  man.  Arrested  at  last,  he 
was  condemned  as  a  spy,  and  on  the  thirtieth  day  of 
April,  1862,  he  was  executed  in  the  City  of  Rich- 
mond, by  order  of  Jefferson  Davis.  Even  then  he 


ASSASSINATE     THE    PRESIDENT.  57 

would  have  succeeded  in  effecting  a  well-devised  plan 
of  escape,  had  he  not  been  rendered  incapable  of 
movement  by  reason  of  a  prostrating  sickness.  His 
name  is  unknown  to  fame,  but  fewer  hearts  beat  truer 
to  the  Union,  and  fewer  arms  performed  more  de- 
voted service  in  its  cause,  and  a  record  of  his  daring 
and  romantic  adventures  as  a  Union  spy,  would 
certainly  equal,  if  not  surpass,  those  of  the  Harvey 
Birch  of  Cooper. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  received  undoubted 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  systematized  organiza- 
tion whose  avowed  object  was  to  assist  the  rebellious 
States,  but  which  was  in  reality  formed  to  compass  the 
death  of  the  President,  and  thus  accomplish  the 
separation  of  the  States.  I  learned  also  that  a  branch 
of  this  conspiracy  existed  at  Perrymansville,  under 
the  guise  of  a  company  of  cavalry,  who  met  frequently 
and  drilled  regularly.  Leaving  Harwood  to  operate 
in  Baltimore  with  the  others,  I  dispatched  Timothy 
Webster  back  to  Perrymansville,  and  in  twenty-four 
hours  thereafter  he  had  enrolled  himself  as  a  member 
of  the  company,  and  was  recognized  as  a  hail  fellow 
among  his  rebel  associates. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The   Conspirators  at    Work. — Detectives  on   Their    Trail. — 
Webster  as  a  Soldier. 

EVERY  day  reports,  would  be  brought  to  me 
from  the  numerous  men  I  had  detailed  along 
the  line  of  the  railroad,  and  regularly  on  alternate 
days  I  would  make  the  journey  from  Baltimore  to 
Philadelphia  for  consultation  with  the  officers  of  the 
company. 

At  every  visit  which  I  made  to  the  suspected 
localities,  I  could  not  fail  to  notice  an  increase  in  the 
excitement  and  the  indications  of  a  disposition  to 
open  revolt  became  more  evident.  Everywhere  the 
ruling  principle  seemed  to  be  opposition  to  the  new 
administration  and  a  decided  inclination  to  aid  the 
Confederacy.  As  the  daily  papers,  which  chronicled 
the  events  which  occurred  upon  the  journey  of  Mr. 
Lincoln  towards  Washington,  or  the  desperate  move- 
ments of  the  Southern  ringleaders,  were  perused  by 
the  people,  or  were  read  aloud  in  tavern  or  store, 
they  would  be  greeted  by  alternate  expressions  of 
hate  and  malignity  for  the  abolitionist  and  wild  cheers 
for  the  rebellion. 

This  feeling,  too,  was  largely  increased  by  the 
[58] 


DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL.  59 

visits  which  prominent  villagers  would  make  to  Balti- 
more, and  who,  upon  their  return,  would  relate 
marvelous  stories  of  what  they  had  seen  and  heard 
of  the  courage,  the  unity  and  the  determination  of  the 
Southern  people.  Everything  calculated  to  inflame 
the  popular  mind  was  seized  upon,  and  the  wonderful 
spirit  of  invention  which  these  men  evinced  was 
simply  astonishing.  As  a  consequence,  the  ignorant 
residents  of  these  villages  and  towns,  having  no 
authoritative  information  of  their  own,  relied  implic- 
itly upon  the  exaggerated  statements  and  untruth- 
ful reports  of  their  leaders,  and  were  kept  in  a 
condition  of  excitement  that  made  them  ready  tools 
of  their  unscrupulous  and  better-informed  managers. 
As  far  as  could  be  learned,  however,  no  definite  plan 
of  action  had  been  arranged,  and  no  public  outbreak 
had  as  yet  occurred. 

Barnum's  Hotel,  in  Baltimore,  appeared  to  be  the 
favorite  resort  of  the  Southern  element.  The  visitors 
•  from  all  portions  of  the  South  located  at  this  house, 
and  in  the  evenings  the  corridors  and  parlors  would 
be  thronged  by  the  tall,  lank  forms  of  the  long-haired 
gentlemen  who  represented  the  aristocracy  of  the 
slaveholding  interests.  Their  conversations  were 
loud  and  unrestrained,  and  any  one  bold  enough  or 
sufficiently  indiscreet  to  venture  an  opinion  contrary 
to  the  righteousness  of  their  cause,  would  soon  find 
himself  in  an  unenviable  position  and  frequently  the 
subject  of  violence. 


60  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

As  this  hotel  was  so  largely  patronized  by  the  so- 
called  "  Fire-eaters,"  I  instructed  Howard  to  go  there 
in  order  to  secure  quarters  and  to  ingratiate  himself 
with  these  extremists.  It  was  not  long  after  this, 
that,  pining  a  company  of  gentlemen  who  were  loudly 
declaiming  against  the  ruling  powers  of  the  country, 
he  entered  into  their  discussion,  and  by  blatant  ex- 
pressions of  the  most  rebellious  nature,  he  was  warmly 
welcomed  by  the  coterie  and  instantly  made  one  of 
their  number. 

Hailing  as  he  did  from  New  Orleans,  his  resi- 
dence was  a  ready  passport  to  their  favor  and  con- 
fidence, and  his  fine  personal  appearance,  gentle- 
manly address  and  the  fervor  of  his  utterances  soon 
won  the  favor  of  those  with  whom  he  associ- 
ated. To  a  general  inquiry  he  stated  that  private 
affairs  of  a  financial  nature  required  his  presence  in 
Baltimore,  but  as  his  acquaintance  with  the  trust- 
worthy emissaries  of  rebeldom  increased,  he  quietly 
insinuated  that  affairs  of  a  national  character  were 
far  more  dear  to  him  than  individual  interests  or 
private  concerns. 

By  continued  intercourse  with  these  men,  he 
greatly  increased  the  circle  of  his  acquaintances,  and 
soon  became  a  welcome  guest  at  the  residences  of 
many  of  the  first  families  of  that  refined  and  aristo- 
cratic city.  Here  his  accomplishments  appeared  to 
the  best  advantage.  His  romantic  disposition  and 
the  ease  of  his  manner  captivated  many  of  the  sus- 


OF     THE    CONSPIRATORS.  61 

ceptible  hearts  of  the  beautiful  Baltimore  belles, 
whose  eyes  grew  brighter  in  his  presence,  and  who 
listened  enraptured  to  the  poetic  utterances  which 
were  whispered  into  their  ears  under  the  witching 
spell  of  music  and  moonlit  nature. 

He  gradually  neared  the  circle  of  which  Marshal 
George  P.  Kane  appeared  to  be  the  leader,  and  in  a 
short  time  he  had  succeeded  in  entirely  winning  his 
confidence,  and  from  this  gentleman  Howard  acquired 
many  important  items  of  information.  The  entire 
police  force  of  the  city — officers  and  men — were  in 
full  sympathy  with  the  rebellion,  and  it  became  ap- 
parent to  him  that  a  strict  watch  was  kept  over  every 
man  who  expressed  Northern  opinions,  or  who 
was  not  identified  with  the  cause  which  they  had 
espoused. 

To  all  of  these  arrangements  Howard  signified  his 
hearty  indorsement,  and  by  every  means  in  his  power 
he  sought  to  convince  the  leaders  of  his  full  sympathy 
with  their  efforts  and  his  resolve  to  take  a  leading 
part  in  the  struggle  that  seemed  to  be  impending. 

Accepting  the  invitation  of  Mr.  Kane,  he  one 
evening  accompanied  that  gentleman  to  a  meeting  of 
one  of  the  secret  societies  that  then  existed,  the  first 
one  he  had  succeeded  in  gaining  entrance  to.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  place  of  assembly,  he  was  surprised  at  the 
many  familiar  faces  which  greeted  him.  Men  whose 
aristocratic  doors  had  opened  to  his  entrance  and 
whose  social  positions  were  unquestioned ;  young 


62  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

men  who  traced  their  lineage  through  several  genera- 
tions, and  whose  wealth  and  intelligence  gave  them 
a  social  status  of  no  ordinary  character,  were  found  in 
full  accord  and  upon  perfect  equality  with  tradesmen, 
artificers,  and  even  with  those  whose  vocation  was 
decidedly  doubtful,  and  some  of  whom  had  heard 
the  key  of  a  prison  lock  turned  upon  them  for  offenses 
committed  in  days  gone  by. 

The  leader  and  President  of  this  society  was  a 
Captain  Fernandina,  who  was  known  as  one  of  the 
most  active  of  the  conspirators.  This  individual  at 
one  time  occupied  the  exalted  position  of  a  barber  at 
Barnum's  Hotel,  but  treason  and  conspiracy  had 
elevated  him  to  the  station  of  a  military  captain  whose 
orders  were  to  be  obeyed,  and  a  leader  whose  man- 
dates compelled  respect.  He  was  an  Italian  or  of 
Italian  descent,  and  having  lived  in  the  South  for  a 
number  of  years  he  was  thoroughly  impressed  with 
the  idea  of  Southern  wrongs,  and  that  the  election 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  an  outrage  which  must  not  be 
tamely  submitted  to  by  the  high-toned  and  chival- 
rous people  of  the  South. 

He  was  an  enthusiast  and  fanatic,  a  dangerous 
man  in  any  crisis,  and  particularly  so  in  the  one  now 
impending,  which  threatened  a  civil  war  and  all  its 
direful  consequences.  Educated  with  Italian  ideas  and 
possessed  of  the  temperament  of  his  people,  he  openly 
justified  the  use  of  the  stiletto,  and  fiercely  advocated 
assassination  as  the  means  of  preventing  the  Presi- 


OF    THE    CONSPIRATORS.  63 

dent-elect  from  taking  his  seat  in  the  executive  chair. 
He  was  also  the  captain  of  a  military  company  which 
drilled  regularly  and  whose  members  were  believed 
to  fully  indorse  the  views  of  their  chief. 

At  this  meeting  Fernandina  delivered  an  address 
which,  for  its  treasonable  nature  and  its  violent  oppo- 
sition to  all  laws,  human  or  divine,  has  scarcely  a 
parallel.  He  boldly  advocated  the  doctrine  of  State 
rights  ;  he  fiercely  denounced  the  party  who  had  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  power ;  he  inveighed  in  violent 
language  against  the  policy  of  the  so-called  abolition- 
ists, and  his  arraignment  of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  most 
vile  and  repulsive.  As  these  words  fell  from  his  lips 
the  excitement  became  intense.  Faces  were  eagerly 
turned  towards  him,  eyes  glistened  with  the  fires  of 
hate,  and  hands  were  clenched  as  though  each  one 
present  was  imbued  with  the  same  feelings  which 
animated  their  sanguinary  leader. 

As  he  proceeded,  overcome  by  the  violence  of  his 
emotions,  he  drew  from  his  breast  a  long,  glittering 
knife,  and  waving  it  aloft,  exclaimed  : 

"  This  hireling  Lincoln  sfyall  never,  never  be  Pres- 
ident. My  life  is  of  no  consequence  in  a  cause  like 
this,  and  I  am  willing  to  give  it  for  his.  As  Orsini 
gave  his  life  for  Italy,  I  am  ready  to  die  for  the 
rights  of  the  South  and  to  crush  out  the  abolitionist." 

As  he  stood  before  them,  his  black  eyes  flashing 
with  excitement,  his  sallow  face  pale  and  colorless 
and  his  long  hair  brushed  fiercely  back  from  his  low 


64  DETECTIVES    ON    THE     TRAIL 

forehead,  he  seemed  a  fitting  representative  of  so 
desperate  a  cause,  and  his  influence  over  the  assem- 
blage was  wonderful  to  behold.  Loud  cheers  and 
wild  clapping  of  hands  greeted  his  utterances,  and  all 
seemed  in  perfect  accord  with  his  declared  intentions. 

There  could  be  no  mistaking  the  fact,  that  the 
object  of  these  men  was  dangerous,  and  that  they  had 
fully  determined  to  oppose  and  prevent  the  inaugura- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln,  but  the  exact  plan  of  operation 
had  not  as  yet  been  agreed  upon. 

Upon  these  facts  being  conveyed  to  me  by  How- 
ard on  the  following  morning,  I  resolved  to  interview 
this  desperate  leader  of  the  conspiracy  myself,  and 
endeavor  to  learn  from  him  further  particulars  of 
their  movements  and  designs. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Barnum's  Hotel  at 
that  time  there  was  a  famous  restaurant,  popularly 
known  as  "Guy's,"  and  this  place  was  much  fre- 
quented by  the  secessionists  who  were  in  the  city. 
Fernandina  spent  much  of  his  time  there,  either  in 
drinking  or  in  consultation  with  his  numerous  politi- 
cal friends,  who  all  seemed  to  regard  him  as  an  im- 
portant personage,  and  one  who  was  eventually  to 
perform  giant  service  in  the  cause. 

Howard  having  effecting  an  introduction  to  Fer- 
nandina, and  convinced  him  of  his  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  the  South,  I  experienced  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  the  desired  interview.  About  three  o'clock 
on  the  following  afternoon  Howard  and  myself  care- 


OF     THE    CONSPIRATORS.  65 

lessly  entered  the  saloon,  and  were  gratified  to  per- 
ceive that  Fernandina  was  also  there,  accompanied  by 
several  members  of  the  military  company  which  he 
commanded.  Walking  directly  up  to  these  gentle- 
men, Howard  introduced  me  as  a  resident  of  Georgia, 
who  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  cause  of  secession, 
and  whose  sympathy  and  discretion  could  be  impli- 
citly relied  upon. 

Fernandina  cordially  grasped  my  hand,  and  we 
all  retired  to  a  private  saloon,  where,  after  ordering 
the  necessary  drinks  and  cigars,  the  conversation 
became  general,  and  to  me,  absorbingly  interesting. 

The  question  of  assassinating  the  President  was 
freely  discussed,  and  Captain  Fernandina  expressed 
himself  vehemently  in  its  favor. 

Some  one  in  the  party  remarked : 

"  Are  there  no  other  means  of  saving  the  South 
except  by  assassination  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  Fernandina ;  "  as  well  might  you 
attempt  to  move  the  Washington  Monument  yonder 
with  your  breath,  as  to  change  our  purpose.  He 
must  die — and  die  he  shall.  And,"  he  continued, 
turning  to  Captain  Trichot,  a  fellow-conspirator  who 
stood  near,  "  if  necessary,  we  will  die  together." 

"  There  seems  to  be  no  other  way,"  interposed 
Howard,  "and  while  bloodshed  is  to  be  regretted,  it 
will  be  done  in  a  noble  cause." 

Fernandina  gazed  approvingly  at  Howard,  and 
then  added  : 

5 


66  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

"  Yes,  the  cause  is  a  noble  one,  and  on  that  day 
every  captain  will  prove  himself  a  hero.  With  the 
first  shot  the  chief  traitor,  Lincoln,  will  die,  then  all 
Maryland  will  be  with  us,  and  the  South  will  be  for- 
ever free," 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  have  all  the  plans  been  matured, 
and  are  there  no  fears  of  failure  ?  A  misstep  in  so 
important  a  direction  would  be  fatal  to  the  South 
and  ought  to  be  well  considered." 

"  Our  plans  are  fully  arranged,"  answered  the 
Captain,  "and  they  cannot  fail;  and,"  he  added,  with 
a  wicked  gleam  in  his  eyes — "  if  I  alone  must  strike 
the  blow,  I  shall  not  hesitate  or  shrink  from  the  task. 
Lincoln  shall  certainly  not  depart  from  this  city 
alive." 

"Yes,"  added  Captain  Trichot,  "it  is  determined 
that  this  G — d  d — d  Lincoln  shall  never  pass  through 
here  alive,  and  no  d — d  abolitionist  shall  ever  set  foot 
upon  Southern  soil  except  to  find  a  grave." 

"  But  about  the  authorities  "-—I  asked — "  is  there 
no  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  them  ?" 

"Oh,  no,"  said  the  Captain,  assuringly,  "they 
are  all  with  us.  I  have  seen  Col.  Kane,  the  Chief 
Marshal  of  Police,  and  he  is  all  right.  In  a  week 
from  to-day  the  North  shall  want  another  President, 
for  Lincoln  will  be  a  corpse." 

All  the  company  gave  approving  responses  to 
these  threats,  with  but  one  exception,  and  he  re- 
mained silent,  with  a  doubtful,  troubled  expression 


OF    THE    CONSPIRATORS.  67 

upon  his  face.  This  young  man  was  one  of  the  fast 
"bloods"  of  the  city,  who  proudly  wore  upon  his 
breast  a  gold  Palmetto  badge,  and  who  was  a  Lieu- 
tenant m  the  Palmetto  Guards,  a  secret  military 
organization  of  Baltimore,  and  I  determined  to  select 
this  man  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  information 
I  so  much  desired ;  and  as  the  company  shortly  after- 
wards broke  up,  Howard  and  myself  accompanied 
Lieutenant  Hill  from  the  saloon. 

Hill  soon  proved  a  pliant  tool  in  our  hands.  Be- 
ing of  a  weak  nature  and  having  been  reared  in  the 
lap  of  luxury,  he  had  entered  into  this  movement 
more  from  a  temporary  burst  of  enthusiasm  and  be- 
cause it  was  fashionable,  than  from  any  other  cause. 
Now  that  matters  began  to  assume  such  a  warlike 
attitude,  he  was  inclined  to  hesitate  before  the  affair 
had  gone  too  far,  but  still  he  seemed  to  be  enamored 
with  the  glory  of  the  undertaking. 

By  my  directions  Howard,  the  ardent  secession- 
ist from  Louisiana,  and  Hill,  of  the  Palmetto  Guards, 
became  bosom  friends  and  inseparable  companions. 
They  drank  together,  and  visited  theaters  and  places 
of  amusement  in  each  other's  company. 

By  reason  of  his  high  social  position  Hill  was  en- 
abled to  introduce  his  friend  to  the  leading  families 
and  into  the  most  aristocratic  clubs  and  societies  of 
which  the  city  boasted,  and  Howard  made  many  valu- 
able acquaintances  through  the  influence  of  this  rebel- 
lious scion  of  Baltimore  aristocracy. 


68  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

Finally  the  young  man  was  induced  to  open  to 
his  companion  the  secrets  of  the  plot  to  assassinate 
the  President.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  Hill 
was  playing  his  part  in  the  conspiracy  with  great  re- 
luctance, and  one  day  he  said  to  Howard  : 

"What  a  pity  it  is  that  this  glorious  Union  must 
be  destroyed  all  on  account  of  that  monster  Lincoln." 
From  Hill  it  was  learned  that  the  plans  of  the  con- 
spirators were  first  to  excite  and  exasperate  the  pop- 
ular feeling  against  Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  utmost,  and 
thus  far  this  had  been  successfully  accompanied. 
From  the  published  programme  Mr.  Lincoln  was  to 
reach  Baltimore  from  Harrisburg  by  the  Northern 
Central  Railroad  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  February, 
now  but  a  few  days  distant.  He  would,  therefore, 
reach  the  city  about  the  middle  of  the  day.  A  vast 
crowd  would  meet  him  at  the  Calvert  street  depot,  at 
which  point  it  was  expected  that  he  would  enter  an 
open  carriage  and  ride  nearly  half  a  mile  to  the  Wash- 
ington depot.  Here  it  was  arranged  that  but  a  small 
force  of  policemen  should  be  stationed,  and  as  the 
President  arrived  a  disturbance  would  be  created 
which  would  attract  the  attention  of  these  guardians 
of  the  peace,  and  this  accomplished,  it  would  be  an 
easy  task  for  a  determined  man  to  shoot  the  Presi- 
dent, and,  aided  by  his  companions,  succeed  in  making 
his  escape. 

Agents  of  the  conspirators  had  been  dispatched 
to  all  the  principal  Northern  cities,  to  watch  the 


OF    THE    CONSPIRATORS.  69 

movements  of  the  presidential  party,  and  ready  to 
telegraph  to  Baltimore  any  change  of  route  or  delay 
in  arrival.  A  cipher  had  been  agreed  upon  between 
them,  so  that  the  conspirators  could  communicate 
with  each  other  without  the  possibility  of  detection, 
and  everything  seemed  to  be  satisfactorily  arranged 
except  to  depute  one  of  their  number  to  commit  the 
fatal  deed.  This  was  to  be  determined  by  ballot, 
and  as  yet  no  one  knew  upon  whom  might  devolve 
the  bloody  task. 

Meanwhile,  the  idea  of  assassination  was  preying 
heavily  upon  the  mind  of  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Pal- 
metto Guards ;  he  grew  sad  and  melancholy,  and 
plunged  still  deeper  into  dissipation.  Howard  had 
now  become  a  necessity  to  him  and  they  were  scarcely 
ever  separated.  Under  the  influence  of  the  master 
spirit,  the  disposition  of  Hill  underwent  wonderful 
changes.  At  times,  he  would  be  thoughtful  and 
morose,  and  then  would  suddenly  break  out  into 
enthusiastic  rhapsodies.  His  sleep  became  tormented 
with  dreams  in  which  he  saw  himself  the  martyr,  to  a 
glorious  cause  and  the  savior  of  his  country. 

At  such  times  he  would  address  himself  to 
Howard,  in  the  most  extravagant  language. 

"  I  am  destined  to  die,"  said  he  one  day, 
"shrouded  with  glory.  I  shall  immortalize  myself 
by  plunging  a  knife  into  Lincoln's  heart." 

Howard  endeavored  to  calm  his  transports,  but 
without  avail.  Raising  himself  to  his  full  height,  he 


70  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

exclaimed  :  "  Rome  had  her  Brutus,  why  should  not 
we  ?  I  swear  to  you,  Howard,  if  it  falls  to  me  I 
will  kill  Lincoln  before  he  reaches  the  Washington 
depot,  not  that  I  love  Lincoln  less,  but  my  country 
more." 

As  the  day  drew  nearer  for  the  arrival  of  the 
President,  he  became  more  nervous  and  excited,  and 
would  more  frequently  indulge  in  extravagant  expres- 
sions, which  would  have  been  regarded  as  absurd, 
but  for  the  fact  that  he  was  but  one  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  fanatics,  who  seriously  entertained  the  same 
ideas  of  murder,  and  his  expressions  but  the  reflex  of 
others,  more  determined. 

Timothy  Webster  was  still  at  Perrymansville, 
and  by  this  time  had  fully  identified  himself  with 
the  rebel  cause,  and  the  company  of  cavalry  of  which 
he  was  a  member.  On  several  occasions  he  had 
given  undoubted  indications  of  his  loyalty  and  devo- 
tion to  the  South,  and  was  generally  looked  upon  as 
a  man  who  could  be  trusted.  He  became  quite 
intimate  with  the  officers  of  the  company,  and 
succeeded  in  gaining  their  entire  confidence.  As  yet, 
however,  he  had  learned  but  little  of  the  important 
movement  which  we  believed  was  in  contemplation,  as 
all  conversations  upon  that  subject  appeared  to  be 
between  the  officers  of  the  company,  at  their  secret 
meetings,  to  which  he  had  not  been  able  as  yet  to 
gain  an  entrance. 

At  length  one  morning,  after  the  usual  daily  drill, 


OF     THE    CONSPIRATORS.  71 

and  when  the  company  had  been  dismissed,  the 
Captain  addressed  Webster  and  requested  him  to  be 
present  at  his  house  that  evening,  as  he  desired  to 
consult  with  him  upon  important  affairs,  at  the  same 
time  cautioning  him  to  say  nothing  to  any  one  con- 
cerning the  matter. 

Promptly  at  the  time  appointed  Webster  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  residence  of  the  Captain,  and 
was  ushered  into  a  room  upon  the  upper  floor,  where 
there  were  several  men  already  assembled.  The  cur- 
tains had  been  drawn  close,  and  heavy  quilts  had  been 
hung  over  the  windows,  which  effectually  prevented 
any  one  from  the  outside  from  discovering  a  light  in 
the  room.  On  his  entrance  he  was  introduced  to  the 
gentlemen  present,  three  of  whom  were  unknown  to 
him,  who  were  members  of  the  secret  league  from 
Baltimore,  and  who  were  evidently  impressed  with 
the  solemnity  and  importance  of  their  undertaking. 
They  greeted  Webster  cordially,  however,  and  made 
room  for  him  at  the  table  around  which  they  were 
sitting. 

A  few  minutes  satisfied  Webster  as  to  the  nature 
of  the  meeting,  and  that  it  was  a  conclave  of  the  con- 
spirators, who  had  met  to  discuss  a  plan  of  action. 
Intensely  eager  as  he  was  to  acquire  all  possible  in- 
formation, he  was  obliged  to  restrain  his  impetuosity 
and  to  listen  calmly  to  the  developments  that  were 
made.  From  what  transpired  that  evening  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  the  desperation  of  the  men  en- 


72  DETECTIVES    ON     THE     TRAIL 

gaged  in  the  conspiracy,  or  of  the  widespread  interest 
which  was  taken  in  their  movements. 

The  plans  for  the  assassination  of  the  President 
had  been  fully  matured,  and  only  needed  the  selection 
of  the  person  to  perform  the  deed,  in  order  to  carry 
them  into  effect.  In  the  meantime,  however,  other 
important  measures  required  attention  and  considera- 
tion. If  the  affair  stopped  simply  with  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  President,  but  little,  if  any,  good  would  be 
accomplished.  The  North  would  rise  as  one  man  to 
avenge  the  death  of  their  leader,  and  they  would  only 
hasten  a  disaster  they  were  anxious  to  avoid.  It 
was  necessary,  therefore,  that  the  work  should  be 
thoroughly  done,  and  the  plan  suggested  was  as 
follows  : 

As  soon  as  the  deed  had  been  accomplished  in 
Baltimore,  the  news  was  to  be  telegraphed  along  the 
line  of  ths  road,  and  immediately  upon  the  reception  of 
this  intelligence  the  telegraph  wires  were  to  be  cut,  the 
railroad  bridges  destroyed  and  the  tracks  torn  up,  in 
order  to  prevent  for  some  time  any  information  being 
conveyed  to  the  cities  of  the  North,  or  the  passage  of 
any  Northern  men  towards  the  capital. 

Wild  as  the  scheme  was,  it  found  instant  favor 
with  the  reckless  men  assembled  together,  and  all 
signified  their  hearty  assent  to  the  propositions  and 
offered  their  aid  in  successfully  carrying  them  out. 
Among  the  most  earnest  in  their  protestations  was 
Timothy  Webster,  and  as  he  announced  his  intention 


OF     THE     CON SP IRA  TORS. 


73 


to  perform  his  duty  in  the  affair  he  was  warmly  con- 
gratulated. 

Matters   were  evidently   getting   warm,  and   but 
little  time  was  left  for  action. 


WARMING    UP. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Conspirators  in  Council. — My  Operative  Joins  the  Con- 
spiracy. 

I  HAD  already  written  to  Mr.  Norman  B.  Judd 
as  the  party  reached  Cincinnati,  informing  him 
that  I  had  reason  to  believe  that  there  was  a  plot  on 
foot  to  murder  the  President  on  his  passage  through 
Baltimore,  and  promising  to  advise  him  further  as  the 
party  progressed  eastward. 

This  information  Mr.  Judd  did  not  divulge  to 
any  one,  fearing  to  occasion  undue  anxiety  or  unneces- 
sary alarm,  and  knowing  that  I  was  upon  the  ground 
and  could  be  depended  upon  to  act  at  the  proper 
time. 

When  the  party  reached  Buffalo  another  note 
from  me  awaited  Mr.  Judd,  informing  him  of  the 
accumulation  of  evidence,  but  conveying  no  particu- 
lars. The  party  were  now  journeying  towards  New 
York  city,  and  I  determined  to  learn  all  that  there 
was  to  learn  before  many  hours. 

Previous  to  this,  in  addition  to  the  men  engaged 
in  Baltimore,  I  had  sent  for  Mrs.  Kate  Warne,  the 
lady  superintendent  of  my  agency.  This  lady  had 
arrived  several  days  before,  and  had  already  made 

[74] 


THE    CONSPIRATORS    IN    COUNCIL.          75 

remarkable  progress  in  cultivating  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  conspira- 
tors. 

Mrs.  Warne  was  eminently  fitted  for  this  task. 
Of  rather  a  commanding  person,  with  clear-cut, 
expressive  features,  and  with  an  ease  of  manner  that 
was  quite  captivating  at  times,  she  was  calculated  to 
make  a  favorable  impression  at  once.  She  was  of 
Northern  birth,  but  in  order  to  vouch  for  her 
Southern  opinions,  she  represented  herself  as  from 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  a  locality  with  which  she  was 
perfectly  familiar,  from  her  connection  with  the  detec- 
tion of  the  robbery  of  the  Adams  Express  Company, 
at  that  place.  Her  experience  in  that  case,  which  is 
fully  detailed  in  "  The  Expressman  and  the  Detec- 
tive," fully  qualified  her  for  the  task  of  representing 
herself  as  a  resident  of  the  South. 

She  was  a  brilliant  conversationalist  when  so 
disposed,  and  could  be  quite  vivacious,  but  she  also 
understood  that  rarer  quality  in  womankind,  the  art 
of  being  silent. 

The  information  she  received  was  invaluable,  but 
as  yet  the  meetings  of  the  chief  conspirators  had  not 
been  entered.  Mrs.  Warne  displayed  upon  her 
breast,  as  did  many  of  the  ladies  of  Baltimore,  the 
black  and  white  cockade,  which  had  been  temporarily 
adopted  as  the  emblem  of  secession,  and  many  hints 
were  dropped  in  her  presence  which  found  their  way 
to  my  ears,  and  were  of  great  benefit  to  me. 


76  THE    CONSPIRATORS 

As  I  have  said,  the  Presidential  party  were  in 
Buffalo,  and  I  had  resolved  upon  prompt  and  decisive 
measures  to  discover  the  inward  workings  of  the 
conspirators.  Accordingly  I  obtained  an  interview 
with  Howard,  and  gave  him  such  instructions  as  I 

deemed  necessary  under  the  circumstances.     He  was 

• 

to  insist  upon  Hill  taking  him  to  the  meeting  at  which 
the  ballots  were  to  be  drawn,  and  where  he,  too, 
would  have  an  opportunity  to  immortalize  himself, 
and  then,  that  being  accomplished,  the  rest  would  be 
easy  and  all  further  danger  would  be  over. 

Accordingly,  that  day  Howard  broached  the  mat- 
ter to  Hill  in  a  manner  which  convinced  him  of  his 
earnestness,  and  the  young  Lieutenant  promised  his 
utmost  efforts  to  secure  his  admission.  At  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  again  met,  and  Hill 
joyfully  informed  his  companion  that  his  request  had 
been  granted,  and  that,  upon  his  vouching  for  the 
fidelity  of  his  friend,  he  had  succeeded  in  obtaining 
permission  for  him  to  enter  their  society. 

That  evening  Howard  accompanied  his  friend 
Hill  to  the  rendezvous  of  the  league,  and  as  they 
entered  the  darkened  chamber,  they  found  many  of 
the  conspirators  already  assembled.  The  members 
were  strangely  silent,  and  an  ominous  awe  seemed  to 
pervade  the  entire  assembly.  About  twenty  men 
comprised  the  number,  but  many  entered  afterward. 
After  a  few  preliminary  movements,  Howard  was 
conducted  to  the  station  of  the  President  of  the 


IN    COUNCIL.  77 

assembly   and    duly   sworn,  the   members   gathering 
around  him  in  a  circle  as  this  was  being  done. 

Having  passed  through  the  required  formula, 
Howard  was  warmly  taken  by  the  hand  by  his  asso- 
ciates, many  of  whom  he  had  met  in  the  polite  circles 
of  society.  After  quiet  had  been  restored,  the  Presi- 
dent, who  was  none  other  than  Captain  Fernandina, 
arose,  and  in  a  dramatic  manner  detailed  the  particu- 
lars of  the  plot. 

It  had  been  fully  determined  that  the  assassina- 
tion should  take  place  at  the  Calvert  street  depot. 
A  vast  crowd  of  secessionists  were  to  assemble  at 
that  place  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  train  with  Mr. 
Lincoln.  They  would  appear  early  and  fill  the  nar- 
row streets  and  passages  immediately  surrounding  it. 
No  attempt  at  secrecy  was  made  of  the  fact  that  the 
Marshal  of  Police  was  conversant  with  their  plans, 
and  that  he  would  detail  but  a  small  force  of  police- 
men to  attend  the  arrival,  and  nominally  clear  and 
protect  a  passage  for  Mr.  Lincoln  and  his  suite. 
Nor  was  the  fact  disguised  that  these  policemen  were 
in  active  sympathy  with  the  movement.  George  P. 
Kane's  animus  was  fully  shown  when  he  was  subse- 
quently arrested  by  General  Banks,  and  afterwards 
became  an  officer  in  the  rebel  army. 

When  the  train  entered  the  depot,  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
attempted  to  pass  through  the  narrow  passage  lead- 
ing to  the  streets,  a  party  already  delegated  were  to 
engage  in  a  conflict  on  the  outside,  and  then  the 


7  8  THE    CONSPIRATORS 

policemen  were  to  rush  away  to  quell  the  disturbance. 
At  this  moment — the  police  being  entirely  withdrawn 
— Mr.  Lincoln  would  find  himself  surrounded  by  a 
dense,  excited  and  hostile  crowd,  all  hustling  and 
jamming  against  him,  and  then  the  fatal  blow  was  to 
be  struck. 

A  swift  steamer  was  to  be  stationed  in  Chesapeake 
Bay,  with  a  boat  awaiting  upon  the  shore,  ready  to 
take  the  assassin  on  board  as  soon  as  the  deed  was 
done,  and  convey  him  to  a  Southern  port,  where  he 
would  be  received  with  acclamations  of  joy  and 
honored  as  a  hero. 

The  question  to  be  decided  this  evening  was : 
"  Who  should  do  the  deed  ?"  "  Who  should  assume 
the  task  of  liberating  the  nation  of  the  foul  presence 
of  the  abolitionist  leader  ?"  For  this  purpose  the 
meeting  had  been  called  to-night,  and  to-night  the  im- 
portant decision  was  to  be  reached. 

It  was  finally  determined  that  ballots  should  be 
prepared  and  placed  in  a  box  arranged  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  that  the  person  who  drew  a  red  ballot 
should  perform  the  duty  of  assassination. 

In  order  that  none  should  know  who  drew  the 
fatal  ballot,  except  he  who  did  so,  the  room  was  ren- 
dered still  darker,  and  every  one  was  pledged  to 
secrecy  as  to  the  color  of  the  ballot  he  drew.  The 
leaders,  however,  had  determined  that  their  plans 
should  not  fail,  and  doubting  the  courage  of  some  of 
their  number,  instead  of  placing  but  one  red  ballot  in 


IN    COUNCIL.  79 

the  box,  they  placed  eight  of  the  designated  color, 
and  these  eight  ballots  were  drawn — each  man  who 
drew  them  believing  that  upon  him,  his  courage, 
strength  and  devotion,  depended  the  cause  of  the 
South — each  supposing  that  he  alone  was  charged 
with  the  execution  of  the  deed. 

After  the  ballots  had  been  drawn  the  President 
again  addressed  the  assembly.  He  violently  assailed 
the  enemies  of  the  South,  and  in  glowing  words 
pointed  out  the  glory  that  awaited  the  man  who  would 
prove  himself  the  hero  upon  this  great  occasion,  and 
finally,  amid  much  restrained  enthusiasm,  the  meeting 
adjourned,  and  their  duties  had  thus  far  been  accom- 
plished. 

My  time  for  action  had  now  arrived  ;  my  plans  had 
been  perfected  and  I  resolved  to  act  at  once.  Taking 
Mrs.  Warne  with  me  I  reached  New  York  city  on  the 
same  day  that  the  presidential  party  arrived  there, 
and  leaving  Mrs.  Warne  to  perfect  arrangements,  I 
proceeded  at  once  to  Philadelphia.  That  evening 
Mrs.  Warne  repaired  to  the  Astor  House  and  re- 
quested an  interview  with  Mr.  Judd.  Her  request 
being  granted,  Mrs.  Warne  informed  that  gentleman, 
that,  fearing  to  trust  the  mail  in  so  important  a  matter, 
she  had  been  delegated  by  me  to  arrange  for  a  per- 
sonal interview,  at  which  all  the  proofs  relating  to  the 
conspiracy  could  be  submitted  to  him.  It  was  sug- 
gested that  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  party 
in  Philadelphia,  I  should  inform  Mr.  Judd  of  my  plans 


8o  THE    CONSPIRATORS    IN    COUNCIL. 

for  an  interview,  and  that  he  would  be  governed  ac- 
cordingly. 

While  they  were  conversing,  Col.  E.  S.  Sandford, 
President  of  the  American  Telegraph  Company, 
called,  and  was  introduced  by  Mrs.  Warne  to  Mr. 
Judd.  This  gentleman  had  been  made  fully  ac- 
quainted with  what  I  had  learned,  and  had  promised 
all  the  assistance  within  his  power,  and  he  accordingly 
tendered  to  Mr.  Judd  his  own  personal  service  and 
the  unlimited  use  of  the  telegraph  lines  under  his  con- 
trol, for  any  communications  he  might  desire  to  make. 

On  arriving  at  Philadelphia,  I  proceeded  directly 
to  the  office  of  Mr.  Felton,  and  acquainted  him  with 
all  the  information  I  had  received,  of  the  designs  of 
the  conspirators  with  regard  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  of 
their  intention  to  destroy  the  railroad  should  their 
plot  be  successful.  The  situation  was  truly  alarm- 
ing, and  cautious  measures  were  absolutely  necessary. 
It  was  therefore  resolved  to  obtain  an  interview  with 
Mr.  Lincoln,  submit  the  facts  to  him,  and  be  gov- 
erned by  his  suggestions,  whatever  they  might  be. 

This  interview  took  place  on  the  2Oth  day  of 
February,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  was  expected  to  arrive  on 
the  following  day.  Great  preparations  had  been 
made  for  his  reception,  and  the  military,  of  which 
Philadelphia  was  justly  proud,  were  to  escort  the  Pres- 
ident-elect from  the  depot  to  the  Continental  Hotel, 
where  quarters  had  been  engaged  for  him,  and  where 
he  would  receive  the  congratulations  of  the  people. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Presidential  Party  arrives  in  Philadelphia. — Independ- 
ence Hall. —  The  Departure  from  Harrisburg. —  Telegraph 
wires  Cut. —  TJirough  the  Lines  of  Treason  and  Safe 
Arrival  at  Washington. 

THE  twenty-first  dawned  bright  and  sunny,  and 
the  streets  were  alive  with  the  eager  populace, 
all  anxious  to  do  honor  to  the  new  President,  and  to 
witness  the  scenes  attendant  upon  his  reception.  In 
due  time  the  train  containing  the  party  arrived,  and 
after  an  informal  welcome  they  took  carriages,  and, 
escorted  by  the  troops,  the  procession  took  up  the  line 
of  march  for  the  hotel.  Vast  crowds  lined  the  side- 
walks and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  unbound- 
ed. The  President  graciously  acknowledged  their 
courtesies  as  he  passed  along.  On  each  side  of  the 
carriage  in  which  Mr.  Lincoln  was  seated,  accompa- 
nied by  Mr.  Judd,  was  a  file  of  policemen,  whose  duty 
it  was  to  prevent  the  mass  of  people  from  pressing  too 
closely  to  the  vehicle.  As  the  procession  reached  the 
corner  of  Broad  and  Chestnut  streets,  a  young  man 
approached  the  file  of  policemen  and  endeavored  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  occupants  of  the  carriage. 
Finding  this  impossible,  he  boldly  plunged  through 

6  [81] 


82  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

the  ranks  of  the  officers,  and  coming  to  the  side  of 
the  carriage,  he  handed  to  Mr.  Judd  a  slip  of  paper, 
on  which  was  written  : 

",5V.  Louis  Hotel,  ask  for  J.  H.  Hutchinson? 

This  young  man  was  Mr.  George  H.  Burns,  an 
attache  of  the  American  Telegraph  Company  and 
confidential  agent  of  E.  S.  Sandford,  Esq.,  who  acted 
as  my  messenger,  and  who  afterwards  distinguished 
himself  for  his  courage  and  daring  in  the  rebellion. 
It  is  needless  to  add  that  J.  H.  Hutchinson  was  the 
name  I  had  assumed  in  registering  at  the  hotel,  in 
order  to  avoid  any  suspicion  or  curiosity  in  case  any 
emissary  of  the  conspirators  should  ascertain  my  real 
name  and  thus  be  warned  of  the  discovery  of  their 
scheme. 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Lincoln  at  the 
Continental,  Mr.  Judd  was  announced  at  the  St.  Louis 
Hotel  as  desiring  to  see  me.  Mr.  Felton  was  with  me 
at  the  time,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Mr.  Judd  made  his 
appearance.  More  than  an  hour  was  occupied  in 
going  over  the  proofs  which  I  produced  of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  conspiracy,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Mr. 
Judd  expressed  himself  fully  convinced  that  the  plot 
was  a  reality,  and  that  prompt  measures  were  required 
to  secure  the  safety  of  the  President. 

"  My  advice  is,"  said  I,  after  I  had  succeeded  in 
convincing  Mr.  Judd  that  my  information  was  reliable, 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  83 

"that  Mr.  Lincoln  shall  proceed  to  Washington  this 
evening  by  the  eleven  o'clock  train,  and  then  once 
safe  at  the  capital,  General  Scott  and  his  soldiery  will 
afford  him  ample  protection." 

"  I  fear  very  much  that  Mr.  Lincoln  will  not 
accede  to  this,"  replied  Mr.  Judd  ;  "but  as  the  Presi- 
dent is  an  old  acquaintance  and  friend  of  yours  and 
has  had  occasion  before  this  to  test  your  reliability 
and  prudence,  suppose  you  accompany  me  to  the 
Continental  Hotel,  and  we  can  then  lay  this  informa- 
tion before  him  in  person  and  abide  by  his  decision." 

This  idea  was  at  once  adopted  and  we  proceeded 
to  the  hotel.  Here  we  found  the  entrances  blocked  up 
by  a  surging  multitude  which  effectually  prevented 
our  admission,  and  we  were  obliged  to  enter  by  the 
rear  of  the  building  through  a  door  used  by  the 
servants. 

On  reaching  the  room  occupied  by  Mr.  Judd 
that  gentleman  summoned  Mr.  Nicolay,  the  Presi- 
dent's private  secretary,  and  dispatched  him  with  a 
note  requesting  the  presence  of  Mr.  Lincoln  upon  a 
matter  of  urgent  importance. 

The  President  at  that  time  was  in  one  of  the  large 
parlors  surrounded  by  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, all  eager  to  extend  to  him  the  hospitalities  of 
the  city  and  to  express  their  good  wishes  for  the 
success  of  his  administration.  Upon  receiving  the 
message,  however,  he  at  once  excused  himself,  and 
forcing  his  way  through  the  crowd  came  directly  to  us. 


84  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Lincoln  had  been  kept  in 
entire  ignorance  of  any  threatened  danger,  and  as  he 
listened  to  the  facts  that  were  now  presented  to  him, 
a  shade  of  sadness  fell  upon  his  face.  He  seemed 
loth  to  credit  the  statement,  and  could  scarce  believe 
it  possible  that  such  a  conspiracy  could  exist.  Slowly 
he  went  over  the  points  presented,  questioning  me 
minutely  the  while,  but  at  length  finding  it  impossible 
to  discredit  the  truthfulness  of  what  I  stated  to  him. 
he  yielded  a  reluctant  credence  to  the  facts. 

After  he  had  been  fully  made  acquainted  with  the 
startling  disclosures,  Mr.  Judd  submitted  to  him  the 
plan  proposed  by  me,  that  he  should  leave  Philadelphia 
for  Washington  that  evening. 

"But,"  added  Mr.  Judd,  "the  proofs  that  have 
just  been  laid  before  you  cannot  be  published,  as  it 
will  involve  the  lives  of  several  devoted  men  now  on 
Mr.  Pinkerton's  force,  especially  that  of  Timothy 
Webster,  who  is  now  serving  in  a  rebel  cavalry 
company  under  drill  at  Perrymansville  in  Mary- 
land." 

Mr.  Lincoln  at  once  acknowledged  the  correctness 
of  this  view,  but  appeared  at  a  loss  as  to  what  course 
to  pursue. 

"You  will  therefore  perceive" — continued  Mr. 
Judd — "that  if  you  follow  the  course  suggested — that 
of  proceeding  to  Washington  to-night — you  will  nec- 
essarily be  subjected  to  the  scoffs  and  sneers  of  your 
enemies,  and  the  disapproval  of  your  friends  who  can- 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  85 

not  be  made  to  believe  in  the  existence  of  so  despe- 
rate a  plot." 

"  I  fully  appreciate  these  suggestions,"  replied 
Mr.  Lincoln,  "  and  I  can  stand  anything  that  is  neces- 
sary, but,"  he  added  rising  to  his  feet,  "  I  cannot  go 
to-night.  I  have  promised  to  raise  the  flag  over 
Independence  Hall  to-morrow  morning,  and  to  visit 
the  legislature  at  Harrisburg  in  the  afternoon — be- 
yond that  I  have  no  engagements.  Any  plan  that 
may  be  adopted  that  will  enable  me  to  fulfill  these 
promises  I  will  accede  to,  and  you  can  inform  me 
what  is  concluded  upon  to-morrow." 

Saying  which  Mr.  Lincoln  left  the  room  and 
joined  the  people  in  the  parlor.  During  the  entire 
interview,  he  had  not  evinced  the  slightest  evidence 
of  agitation  or  fear.  Calm  and  self-possessed,  his 
only  sentiments  appeared  to  be  those  of  profound  re- 
gret, that  the  Southern  sympathizers  could  be  so  far 
led  away  by  the  excitement  of  the  hour,  as  to  con- 
sider his  death  a  necessity  for  the  furtherance  of  their 
cause. 

From  his  manner,  it  was  deemed  useless  to 
attempt  to  induce  him  to  alter  his  mind,  and  after  a 
few  minutes'  further  conversation,  which  was  partici- 
pated in  by  Mr.  Sandford,  who  had  entered  the  room, 
I  left  for  the  purpose  of  finding  Thomas  A.  Scott, 
Esq.,  the  Vice-President  of  the  Pennsylvania  Central 
Railroad,  in  order  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
carrying  out  of  a  plan  which  had  occurred  to  me,  and 


86  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

which  would  enable  Mr.  Lincoln  to  fulfill  his  engage- 
ments. 

I  was  unable,  however,  to  find  Mr.  Scott,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  Mr.  G.  C.  Franciscus,  the  general 
manager  of  the  road,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  that  night, 
in  company  with  that  gentleman  and  Mr.  Sandford, 
we  called  again  upon  Mr.  Judd. 

At  this  meeting  a  full  discussion  of  the  entire 
matter  was  had  between  us,  and  after  all  possible 
contingencies  had  been  considered,  the  following 
programme  was  agreed  upon. 

After  the  formal  reception  at  Harrisburg  had 
taken  place,  a  special  train,  consisting  of  a  bag- 
gage-car and  one  passenger-coach,  should  leave 
there  at  six  o'clock  P.  M.  to  carry  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  one  companion  back  to  Philadelphia ;  this  train 
was  to  be  under  the  immediate  control  of  Mr.  Fran- 
ciscus and  Mr.  Enoch  Lewis,  the  general  superin- 
tendent. In  order  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  acci- 
dent, the  track  was  to  be  cleared  of  everything  be- 
tween Harrisburg  and  Philadelphia  from  half-past 
five  o'clock  until  after  the  passage  of  the  special 
train.  Mr.  Felton  was  to  detain  the  eleven  o'clock 
p.  M.  Baltimore  train  until  the  arrival  of  the  spe- 
cial train  from  Harrisburg,  Mrs.  Warne  in  the  mean- 
time engaging  berths  in  the  sleeping-car  bound  for 
Baltimore. 

I  was  to  remain  in  Philadelphia  in  order  that 
no  accident  might  occur  in  conveying  the  President 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  87 

from  one  depot  to  another,  and  Mr.  Judd  was  to 
manage  the  affair  at  Harrisburg.  Everything  that 
could  be  suggested  in  relation  to  this  matter  was 
fully  considered,  and  having  at  length  perfected 
our  plans,  the  party  separated  at  half-past  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  fully  prepared  to  carry  out  the  pro- 
gramme agreed  upon. 

At  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  a 
vast  concourse  of  people  assembled  in  front  of 
Independence  Hall  on  Chestnut  street,  and  at  pre- 
cisely the  hour  appointed,  Mr.  Lincoln  made  his 
appearance.  With  his  own  hands  he  drew  to  the 
top  of  the  staff  surmounting  the  edifice  a  beauti- 
ful new  American  flag,  and  as  its  Stripes  and  Stars 
floated  out  gracefully  to  the  breeze,  the  air  was  rent 
with  the  shouts  of  the  multitude  and  the  music  of 
the  band. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  speech  upon  this  occasion  was 
the  most  impressive  and  characteristic  of  any  which 
he  had  delivered  upon  his  journey  to  the  capital, 
while  a  tinge  of  sadness  pervaded  his  remarks, 
never  noticed  before,  and  which  were  occasioned 
no  doubt  by  the  revelations  of  the  preceding  night. 
He  gave  a  most  eloquent  expression  to  the  emo- 
tions and  associations  which  were  suggested  by  the 
day  and  by  the  historic  old  hall  where  he  then  stood. 
He  declared  that  all  his  political  sentiments  were, 
drawn  from  the  inspired  utterances  of  those  who 
had  sat  within  the  walls  of  that  ancient  edifice. 


88  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

He  alluded  most  feelingly  to  the  dangers  and  toils 
and  sufferings  of  those  who  had  adopted  and  made 
good  the  Declaration  of  Independence — a  declara- 
tion which  gave  promise  that  "in  due  time  the 
weight  would  be  lifted  from  the  shoulders  of  all 
men."  Conscious  of  the  dangers  that  threatened  his 
country,  and  feeling  also  that  those  dangers  originated 
in  opposition  to  the  principles  enunciated  in  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  knowing  that  his  own 
life  \vas  even  then  threatened  because  of  his  devotion 
to  liberty,  and  that  his  way  to  the  national  cap- 
ital was  beset  by  assassins,  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
declare  boldly  and  fearlessly  "that  he  would  rather 
be  assassinated  on  the  spot  than  surrender  those 
principles  "  so  dear  to  him. 

After  these  proceedings,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  driven 
back  to  the  Continental  Hotel,  and  sending  for  Mr. 
Judd,  he  introduced  him  to  Mr.  Frederick  H.  Seward, 
a  son  of  the  late  William  H.  Seward,  who  was  in  the 
room  with  the  President.  Mr.  Lincoln  then  informed 
Mr.  Judd  that  Mr.  Seward  had  been  sent  from  Wash- 
ington by  his  father  and  General  Scott  to  warn  him 
of  the  danger  of  passing  through  Baltimore,  and  to 
urge  him  to  come  direct  to  Washington. 

From  whom  this  information  was  originally 
obtained  did  not  appear,  but  the  facts  were  deemed 
of  sufficient  moment  to  be  brought  to  the  ears  of  the 
President,  and  hence  Mr.  Seward's  visit  to  Philadel- 
phia. Mr.  Lincoln  evinced  no  further  hesitancy  in 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  '  89 

the  matter,  and  signified  his  readiness  to  do  whatever 
was  required  of  him.  Mr.  Judd  then  directed  Mr. 
Seward  to  inform  his  father  that  all  had  been 
arranged,  and  that,  so  far  as  human  foresight  could 
predict,  Mr.  Lincoln  would  be  in  Washington  before 
the  evening  of  the  following  day,  and  cautioned  him 
to  preserve  the  utmost  secrecy  in  regard  to  the  matter. 
No  particulars  were  given  and  none  were  asked. 

At  the  time  appointed  Mr.  Lincoln  started  for 
Harrisburg,  and  I  busied  myself  with  the  preparations 
that  were  necessary  to  successfully  carry  our  plans 
into  operation.  From  reports  which  I  received 
from  Baltimore,  the  excitement  in  that  city  had  grown 
more  intense,  and  the  arrival  of  the  President  was 
awaited  with  the  most  feverish  impatience.  The 
common  and  accepted  belief  was  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
would  journey  from  Harrisburg  to  Baltimore  over  the 
Northern  Central  Railroad,  and  the  plans  of  the  con- 
spirators were  arranged  accordingly. 

It  became  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance, 
therefore,  that  no  intimation  of  our  movements  should 
reach  that  city.  I  had  no  doubt  but  that  trusty 
agents  of  the  conspirators  were  following  the  presi- 
dential party,  and  after  the  absence  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
had  been  discovered,  the  telegraph  would  be  put  into 
active  operation  to  apprise  the  movers  of  this  scheme 
of  the  change  that  had  been  made.  To  effectually 
prevent  this  I  determined  that  the  telegraph  wires 
which  connected  Harrisburg  with  her  neighboring 


90  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

cities  should  be  so  "  fixed  "  as  to  render  communica- 
tion impossible. 

To  arrange  this  matter  Capt.  Burns  was  sent  to 
the  office  of  the  American  Telegraph  Company,  and 
obtaining  from  Mr.  H.  H.  Thayer,  the  manager  of 
the  company,  a  competent  and  trustworthy  man  for 
the  purpose,  departed  for  Harrisburg,  in  order  to 
carry  out  the  proposed  measures.  Mr.  Thayer,  in  the 
meantime,  was  to  remain  in  the  office  during  the 
night,  in  order  to  intercept  any  dispatches  that  might 
be  sent  over  the  wires  from  any  point  between 
Harrisburg  and  Baltimore,  and  to  immediately  deliver 
any  messages  that  might  be  sent  to  me. 

Mr.  W.  P.  Westervelt,  the  superintendent,  and 
Mr.  Andrew  Wynne,  the  line-man  of  the  telegraph 
company,  were  delegated  to  Harrisburg  to  "  fix"  the 
wires  leading  from  that  place  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
prevent  any  communication  from  passing  over  them, 
and  to  report  to  Capt.  Burns  upon  their  arrival. 

After  the  train  containing  Mr.  Lincoln  and  his 
party  had  left  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Judd  sought  the  first 
favorable  opportunity  of  conversing  with  Mr.  Lincoln 
alone,  and  fully  detailed  to  him  the  plan  that  had 
been  agreed  upon,  all  of  which  met  with  the  hearty 
approval  of  the  President,  who  signified  a  cheerful  wil- 
lingness to  adapt  himself  to  the  novel  circumstances. 

It  was  evident,  from  the  manner  of  several  of  the 
gentlemen  of  the  party,  that  they  suspected  some- 
thing was  transpiring  of  which  they  had  not  been  ad- 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  91 

vised,  but  they  all  very  judiciously  refrained  from  ask- 
ing any  questions.  Mr.  Judd,  however,  who  felt  the 
responsibility  of  his  position,  finally  suggested  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  the  propriety  and  advisability  of  informing 
them  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  of  consulting  with 
them  upon  the  proper  carrying  out  of  the  contem- 
plated journey.  To  this  Mr.  Lincoln  yielded  a  ready 
assent,  adding,  with  an  amused  smile  : 

"  I  suppose  they  will  laugh  at  us,  Judd,  but  I 
think  you  had  better  get  them  together." 

It  was  therefore  arranged  that  after  the  reception 
at  the  State  House  had  taken  place,  and  before  they 
sat  down  to  dinner,  the  matter  should  be  fully  laid 
before  the  following  gentlemen  of  the  party  :  Judge 
David  Davis,  Col.  Sumner,  Major  David  Hunter, 
Capt  John  Pope  and  Ward  H.  Lamon,  Esq. 

Mr.  Lincoln  arrived  at  Harrisburg  at  noon,  and 
was  introduced  to  the  people  from  the  balcony  of  the 
Jones  House,  where  an  address  was  delivered  by  Gov. 
Andrew  G.  Curtin,  whose  fame  became  widespread 
during  the  dark  days  of  the  rebellion  that  followed, 
as  the  "  War  Governor  of  Pennsylvania."  From  the 
hotel  the  party  proceeded  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, where  he  was  welcomed  by  the  Speaker,  to 
which  he  replied  in  a  few  well-chosen  words. 

After  a  short  time  spent  in  congratulations  and 
hand-shaking  they  returned  to  the  hotel,  and  the  gen- 
tlemen who  have  been  previously  named  were  invited 
(in  company  with  the  Governor)  to  confer  with  the 


92  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

President  in  the  parlor.  At  this  meeting  the  informa- 
tion of  the  discovery  of  the  plot  to  assassinate  the  Presi- 
dent was  laid  before  them,  and  also  the  details  of  the 
proposed  journey  to  Washington.  After  the  matter 
had  been  fully  explained,  a  great  diversity  of  opinion 
manifested  itself  among  the  gentlemen  present,  and 
some  warm  discussion  was  indulged  in.  Finally,  Judge 
Davis,  who  had  expressed  no  opinion  upon  the  subject 
as  yet,  addressed  the  President,  saying : 

"  Well,  Mr.  Lincoln,  what  is  your  own  judgment 
upon  this  matter?" 

"  I  have  thought  over  this  matter  considerably 
since  I  went  over  the  ground  with  Mr.  Pinkerton  last 
night,"  answered  Mr.  Lincoln,  "and  the  appearance  of 
Mr.  Frederick  Seward,  with  warning  from  another 
source,  confirms  my  belief  in  Mr.  Pinkerton's  state- 
ment ;  therefore,  unless  there  are  some  other  reasons 
than  a  fear  of  ridicule,  I  am  disposed  to  carry  out 
Mr.  Judd's  plan." 

Judge  Davis  turned  to  the  others,  and  said : 

"That  settles  the  matter,  gentlemen." 

"  So  be  it,"  exclaimed  Col.  Sumner.  "  It  is 
against  my  judgment,  but  I  have  undertaken  to  go  to 
Washington  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  I  shall  do  it." 

Mr.  Judd  endeavored  in  vain  to  convince  the  gal- 
lant old  soldier  that  every  additional  person  only 
added  to  the  risk,  but  the  fiery  spirit  of  the  veteran 
was  aroused  and  debate  was  useless. 

Having  arranged   the  matter  thus  satisfactorily, 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  93 

the  party,  at  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  re- 
paired to  the  dining-room  for  dinner. 

All  the  preliminaries  had  now  been  successfully 
arranged.  The  special  train,  ostensibly  to  take  the 
officers  of  the  railroad  company  back  to  Philadelphia, 
was  waiting  upon  a  side  track  just  outside  of  the 
town.  The  telegraph  operators  had  performed  their 
work  admirably.  Walking  out  of  the  city  nearly  two 
miles,  Mr.  Wynne  climbed  the  poles  and  placing  fine 
copper  ground  wires  upon  the  regular  lines,  the  city 
was  soon  entirely  isolated  from  her  neighbors.  No 
message  could  possibly  be  sent  from  Harrisburg,  and 
the  capital  of  Pennsylvania  was  cut  off  temporarily 
from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

The  preparations  in  Philadelphia  had  also  been 
fully  made.  Mrs.  Warne  had  succeeded  in  engaging 
the  rear  half  of  a  sleeping-car  for  the  accommodation 
of  her  invalid  brother,  and  that  portion  of  the  car  was 
to  be  entirely  separated  from  the  rest  by  a  curtain,  so 
arranged  that  no  one  in  the  forward  part  of  the  car 
would  be  aware  of  the  occupants  of  the  same  coach. 

In  order  to  detain  the  Baltimore  train  until  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  conductor  was  directed 
not  to  start  his  train  until  he  received  personal  in- 
structions to  that  effect  from  Mr.  H.  F.  Kinney,  the 
superintendent,  who  would  hand  him  an  important 
parcel,  which  President  Felton  desired  should  be  de- 
livered early  on  the  following  morning  to  Mr.  E.  J. 
Allen  at  Willard's  Hotel,  in  Washington.  (E.  J. 


94 


THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 


Allen  was  the  nom-de-plume  I  generally  used  when 
on  detective  operations.) 

At  a  quarter  to  six  o'clock  everything  was  in  read- 
iness. A  carnage  was  in  waiting  at  the  side  entrance 
of  the  hotel,  and  the  entire  party  were  still  at  the 
table.  A  message  was  delivered  to  the  President  by 
Mr.  Nicolay,  and  upon  receiving  it,  he  immediately 
arose,  and,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Curtin,  Mr.  Lamon 
and  Mr.  Judd,  he  left  the  dining-room.  Mr.  Lincoln 
exchanged  his  dinner  dress  for  a  traveling  suit,  and 
soon  returned  with  a  shawl  upon  his  arm  and  a  soft 
felt  hat  protruding  from  his  coat  pocket. 

The  halls,  stairways  and  pavement  were  filled  with 
a  mass  of  people,  who,  seeing  the  President  in  com- 
pany with  the  Governor,  at  once  imagined  that  they 
were  going  to  the  executive  mansion,  where  a  recep- 
tion was  to  be  held  in  the  evening. 

Mr.  Judd  whispered  to  Mr.  Lamon  to  proceed  in 
advance,  adding  : 

"  As  soon  as  Mr.  Lincoln  is  in  the  carriage,  drive 
off." 

As  the  party,  consisting  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  Governor 
Curtin,  and  Mr.  Lamon,  entered  the  carriage,  Col. 
Sumner  attempted  to  follow  them,  but  Mr.  Judd 
gently  put  his  hand  upon  the  old  gentleman's  shoul- 
der, and  as  he  turned  quickly  around  to  inquire  what 
was  wanted,  the  carriage  was  driven  rapidly  away. 

Thus  far  everything  had  passed  off  admirably,  and 
in  a  short  time  Mr.  Lincoln  was  upon  the  special 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  95 

train,  accompanied  only  by  Mr.  Lamon  and  the  rail- 
road officials,  and  speeding  along  toward  Philadel- 
phia. 

Without  accident  the  party  arrived  at  the  Quaker 
City  shortly  after  ten  o'clock,  where  I  was  waiting 
with  a  carriage,  in  company  with  Mr.  Kinney.  With- 
out a  word  Mr.  Lincoln,  Mr.  Lamon  and  myself 
entered  the  vehicle,  while  Mr.  Kinney  seated  himself 
alongside  of  the  driver,  and  we  proceeded  directly  to 
the  depot  of  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Balti- 
more Railroad. 

Driving  up  to  the  sidewalk  on  Carpenter  street, 
and  in  the  shadow  of  a  tall  fence,  the  carriage  was 
stopped  and  the  party  alighted.  As  we  approached 
the  train,  Mrs.  Warne  came  forward,  and,  familiarly 
greeting  the  President  as  her  brother,  we  entered  the 
sleeping-car  by  the  rear  door  without  unnecessary 
delay,  and  without  any  one  being  aware  of  the  distin 
guished  passenger  who  had  arrived. 

A  carefully  inclosed  package,  which  resembled  a 
formidable  official  document,  but  which  contained 
only  some  neatly  folded  daily  papers,  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  unsuspecting  conductor — the  whistle 
sounded,  and  soon  the  train  was  in  motion,  whirling 
on  towards  the  capital  of  the  nation. 

So  carefully  had  all  our  movements  been  conducted, 
that  no  one  in  Philadelphia  saw  Mr.  Lincoln  enter 
the  car,  and  no  one  on  the  train,  except  his  own  im- 
mediate party — not  even  the  conductor,  knew  of  his 


96  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

presence,  and  the  President,  feeling  fatigued  from  the 
labors  and  the  journeys  of  the  day,  at  once  retired  to 
his  berth. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  accident,  I  had 
arranged  with  my  men  a  series  of  signals  along  the 
road.  It  was  barely  possible  that  the  work  of 
destroying  the  railroad  might  be  attempted  by  some 
reckless  individuals,  or  that  a  suspicion  of  our  move- 
ments might  be  entertained  by  the  conspirators,  and 
therefore,  the  utmost  caution  must  be  observed. 

As  the  train  approached  Havre  de  Grace,  I  went 
to  the  rear  platform  of  the  car,  and  as  the  train 
passed  on  a  bright  light  flashed  suddenly  upon  my 
gaze  and  was  as  quickly  extinguished,  and-1  then  I 
knew  that  thus  far  all  was  well. 

From  this  point  all  the  way  to  Baltimore,  at  every 
bridge-crossing  these  lights  flashed,  and  their  rays 
carried  the  comforting  assurance  "  All's  Well !" 

We  reached  Baltimore  at  about  half-past  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  as  the  train  rumbled  into 
the  depot  an  officer  of  the  road  entered  the  car  and 
whispered  in  my  ear  the  welcome  words  "All's  WTell !" 

The  city  was  in  profound  repose  as  we  passed 
through.  Darkness  and  silence  reigned  over  all. 
Perhaps,  at  this  moment,  however,  the  reckless  con- 
spirators were  astir  perfecting  their  plans  for  a  tragedy 
as  infamous  as  any  which  has  ever  disgraced  a  free 
country — perhaps  even  now  the  holders  of  the  red 
ballots  were  nerving  themselves  for  their  part  in  the 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  97 

dreadful  work,  or  were  tossing  restlessly  upon  sleep- 
less couches. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  our  presence  in  Baltimore  was 
entirely  unsuspected,  and  as  the  sleeping-car  in  which 
we  were,  was  drawn  by  horses  through  the  streets 
from  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore 
depot,  until  we  reached  the  Washington  station,  no 
sign  of  life  was  apparent  in  the  great  slumbering  city. 
At  the  depot,  however,  a  number  of  people  were 
gathered,  awaiting  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the 
various  trains,  and  here  the  usual  bustle  and  activity 
were  manifested. 

We  were  compelled  to  remain  here  fully  two 
hours,  owing  to  the  detention  of  the  train  from  the 
West,  and  during  that  time,  Mr.  Lincoln  remained 
quietly  in  his  berth,  joking  with  rare  good  humor  with 
those  around  him. 

Ever  and  anon  some  snatches  of  rebel  harmony 
would  reach  our  ears,  as  they  were  rather  discordantly 
sung  by  the  waiting  passengers  in  and  around  the 
depot.  "  My  Maryland  "  and  "Dixie"  appeared  to 
be  the  favorites,  and  once,  after  an  intoxicated  indi- 
vidual had  roared  through  one  stanza  of  the  latter 
song,  Mr.  Lincoln  turned  quietly  and  rather  sadly  to 
me  and  said : 

"  No  doubt  there  will  be  a  great  time  in  Dixie  by 
and  by." 

How  prophetic  his  words  were,  the  succeeding 
years  too  fully  proved. 


98  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

At  length  the  train  arrived  and  we  proceeded  on 
our  way,  arriving  in  Washington  about  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Mr.  Lincoln  wrapped  his  traveling 
shawl  about  his  shoulders,  and  in  company  with  Mr. 
Lamon,  started  to  leave  the  car.  I  followed  close 
behind,  and  on  the  platform  found  two  of  my  men 
awaiting  our  arrival.  A  great  many  people  were  gath- 
ered about  the  depot,  but  Mr.  Lincoln  entirely 
escaped  recognition,  until  as  we  were  about  leaving 
the  depot,  Mr.  Washburne,  of  Illinois,  came  up  and 
cordially  shook  him  by  the  hand. 

The  surprise  of  this  gentleman  was  unbounded, 
and  many  of  those  standing  around,  observing  his 
movements,  and  the  tall  form  of  Mr.  Lincoln  exciting 
curiosity,  I  feared  that  danger  might  result  in  case  he 
was  recognized  at  this  time.  I  accordingly  went  up 
to  them  hurriedly,  and  pressing  between  them  whis- 
pered rather  loudly : 

"  No  talking  here  !" 

Mr.  Washburne  gazed  inquiringly  at  me,  and  was 
about  to  resent  my  interference,  when  Mr.  Lincoln 
interposed  : 

"  That  is  Mr.  Pinkerton,  and  everything  is  all 
right." 

Thus  satisfied,  Mr.  Washburne  quickly  led  the 
way  to  a  carriage  in  waiting  outside,  where  we  met 
Mr.  Seward,  who  warmly  greeted  the  President,  and 
then  the  party  were  rapidly  driven  down  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue  to  Willard's  Hotel  —  I  following 


REACHES     WASHINGTON.  99 

closely    behind    them    with    my    men,    in    another 
vehicle. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  hotel  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
warmly  greeted  by  his  friends,  who  were  rejoiced  at 
his  safe  arrival,  and  leaving  him  in  the  hands  of  those 
whose  fealty  was  undoubted,  I  withdrew,  and. engaged 
temporary  quarters  at  another  hotel. 

Dnring  the  forenoon  I  received  a  note  from  Mr. 
Lincoln  requesting  an  interview,  and  received  his 
warm  expressions  of  thankfulness  for  the  part  I  had 
performed  in  securing  his  safety,  after  which,  finding 
that  my  object  had  been  fully  accomplished,  I  took 
the  train  and  returned  to  Baltimore. 

Here  I  found  the  utmost  excitement  prevailing. 
The  news  of  the  safe  arrival  of  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
already  reached  there,  and  a  general  sentiment  of 
rage  and  disappointment  pervaded  the  entire  circle  of 
conspirators  and  secessionists.  I  lost  no  time  in 
securing  an  interview  with  Howard,  and  learned  from 
him  the  particulars  attendant  upon  the  discovery  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  had  outwitted  his  enemies  and  was  now 
safely  quartered  in  Washington.  Finding  that  their 
plans  had  been  discovered,  and  fearing  that  the 
vengeance  of  the  government  would  overtake  them, 
the  leading  conspirators  had  suddenly  disappeared. 
All  their  courage  and  bravado  was  gone,  and  now, 
like  the  miserable  cowards  that  they  were,  they  had 
sought  safety  in  flight. 

A  curious  episode  occurred  at  Harrisburg  imme- 


ioo  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

diately  after  the  departure  of  Mr.  Lincoln  from  that 
city.  Two  newspaper  correspondents  connected  with 
prominent  New  York  journals  had  accompanied  the 
party  from  Springfield,  and  had  faithfully  noted  the 
incidents  which  had  occurred  upon  the  journey.  As 
soon  as  .the' train  which  carried  Mr.  Lincoln  away 
from  Harrisburg  was  on  its  way,  a  gentlemanly  indi- 
vidual, well-known  to  me,  went  to  the  room  occupied 
by  these  journalists,  and  found  them  engaged  in 
preparations  to  witness  the  further  proceedings  of  the 
presidential  party, 

The  visitor  quickly  informed  the  gentlemen  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  had  left  the  city  and  was  now  flying  over 
the  road  in  the  direction  of  Washington,  which  he 
would  no  doubt  reach  in  the  morning.  This  was  the 
signal  for  renewed  activity,  and  both  gentlemen  has- 
tily arose,  and,  grasping  their  hats,  started  for  the 
door.  Their  visitor  however,  was  too  quick  for  them, 
and  standing  before  the  door  with  a  revolver  in  each 
hand,  he  addressed  them  :  "  You  cannot  leave  this 
room,  gentlemen,  without  my  permission  !" 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?"  inquired  one  of  the  sur- 
prised gentlemen,  blinking  through  his  spectacles. 

"  It  means  that  you  cannot  leave  this  room  until 
the  safety  of  Mr.  Lincoln  justifies  it,"  calmly  replied 
the  other. 

"  I  want  to  telegraph  to  the  Herald"  said  the 
second  correspondent — "  what  is  the  use  of  obtaining 
news  if  we  cannot  utilize  it  T 


REACHES     WASHINGTON,  101 

"  You  cannot  utilize  anything  at  present,  gentle- 
men. The  telegraph  will  not  be  of  any  service  to 
you,  for  the  wires  are  all  down,  and  Harrisburg  will 
be  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world  for  some 
hours  yet." 

"  When  do  you  propose  to  let  us  out  ?"  humbly 
asked  one. 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you,  gentlemen.  If  you  will  sit 
down  calmly,  and  bide  your  time  and  mine,  I  will 
make  matters  interesting  for  you,  by  informing  you 
all  about  this  flank  movement  on  the  Baltimoreans." 

Their  indignation  and  fright  subsided  at  once, 
and  they  quietly  sat  down.  Refreshments  were  sent 
for,  and  soon  the  nimble  pencils  of  the  reporters  were 
rapidly  jotting  down  as  much  of  the  information  as 
was  deemed  advisable  to  be  made  public  at  that  time. 
After  they  had  heard  all,  they  prepared  their  dis- 
patches for  New  York,  both  correspondents  writing 
long  and  interesting  accounts  of  the  affair. 

When  daylight  dawned,  and  the  gladsome  tidings 
had  been  received  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  safe,  these 
knights  of  the  quill  were  liberated,  and,  rushing  to 
the  telegraph  offices,  which  were  now  in  running  order 
again,  the  news  was  transmitted  to  New  York,  and  in 
less  than  an  hour  the  types  were  being  set  which 
would  convey  to  the  public  the  startling  news  of  the 
discovered  conspiracy,  and  the  manner  in  which  the 
conspirators  had  been  outwitted. 

As  the  later  train  arrived  at  Baltimore,  I  went  to 


102  THE    PRESIDENTIAL    PARTY 

the  depot  and  found  the  remaining  members  of  the 
President's  party,  who  also  brought  Mrs.  Lincoln  with 
them. 

Mr.  Judd  was  jubilant  at  the  success  of  the 
adventure,  but  Col.  Sumner  had  not  yet  recovered 
his  good  humor.  I  have  no  doubt,  however,  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  succeeded  in  placating  his  irascible 
friend,  and  I  know  that  in  the  bloody  scenes  which 
followed  Col.  Sumner  bore  an  honorable  and  cour- 
ageous part. 

Thus  ends  the  narration  of  this  important  episode 
in  one  of  the  most  interesting  epochs  of  the  country's 
history,  and  a  truthful  record  has  been  given. 
Exaggerated  stones  and  unauthorized  statements 
have  been  freely  made  with  regard  to  this  journey  of 
Mr.  Lincoln.  The  caricaturist  has  attempted  to 
throw  ridicule  upon  the  great  man  who  now  sleeps  in 
a  martyr's  grave.  A  silly  story  of  his  being  disguised 
in  a  Scotch  cap  and  plaid  obtained  a  temporary 
currency,  but  the  fact  remains  that  Mr.  Lincoln,  as  a 
gentleman,  and  in  the  company  of  gentlemen, 
successfully  passed  through  the  camp  of  the  con- 
spirators and  reached  in  safety  the  capital  of  the 
country. 

Now  the  war  is  ended.  Peace  reigns  throughout 
the  borders  of  the  great  Republic.  And  when, 
during  the  last  dying  throes  of  t.he  rebellion,  this 
great  man  was  stricken  down  by  the  hand  of  an 
assassin,  North  and  South  alike  united  in  lamenting 


REACHES     WASHINGTON. 


103 


his  death,  and  in  execrating  the  damnable  deed  and 
its  reckless  perpetrators. 

I  had  informed  Mr.  Lincoln  in  Philadelphia  that 
I  would  answer  with  my  life  for  his  safe  arrival  in 
Washington,  and  I  had  redeemed  my  pledge. 


A   CAMP   SONG. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

My  Connection  with  the  Rebellion. — Timothy  Webster  Accepts 

a  Mission. 

MY  connection  with  the  "  Great  Rebellion "  of 
1 86 1  began  almost  from  the  inception  of 
that  gigantic  struggle.  During  the  days  that  inter- 
vened between  the  inauguration  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
and  the  memorable  i2th  day  of  April,  1861,  treason 
was  busy  in  the  South,  and  secession  resolved  itself 
into  an  accomplished  fact.  Scarcely  had  the  rever- 
berating tones  of  the  guns  upon  the  batteries  in 
Charleston  Harbor  died  away  upon  the  air,  than  I  was 
called  into  the  service  of  the  military  branch  of  the 
government.-  At  that  time  I  was  engaged  in  the 
energetic  practice  of  my  profession  as  a  detective, 
which,  large  as  it  was,  and  constantly  increasing, 
required  a  personal  supervision,  which  absorbed  my 
undivided  attention.  When,  however,  it  became 
evident  that  a  conflict  was  unavoidable,  I  soon  found 
my  services  were  needed,  and  putting  aside  all  con- 
siderations of  a  private  or  business  nature,  I  yielded 
a  ready  and  cheerful  response  to  the  call,  and  during 
my  connection  with  what  was  afterwards  known  as 
[104] 


TIMOTHY     WEBSTER'S    MISSION.  105 

the  secret  service  of  the  government,  I  rendered  every 
assistance  that  lay  in  my  power  to  further  the  cause 
of  union,  and  to  serve  the  country  of  my  adoption. 

The  month  of  April,  1861,  was  an  important  one 
in  the  history  of  the  country.  Whatever  fears  and 
apprehensions  had  filled  the  minds  of  the  Northern 
people  as  to  the  solution  of  the  great  political  ques- 
tions then  pending,  a  resort  to  arms  had,  until  that 
time,  been  regarded  as  not  likely  to  occur.  A  peo- 
ple who  had  been  reared  amid  the  blessings  of  a  long 
and  undisturbed  peace,  and  whose  lives,  under  this 
benign  influence,  had  been  prosperous  and  happy,  they 
were  almost  entirely  unprepared  for  ,a  serious  contest 
or  a  warlike  struggle.  Many  times  before  the  politi- 
cal horizon  had  grown  dark  and  threatening,  but  the 
storm  had  subsided  almost  instantly,  under  that  wise 
yielding  of  obedience  to  law  and  to  the  will  of  ma- 
jorities, which  it  was  hoped  would  now  exercise  its 
power  for  the  preservation  and  continuance  of  amity. 

When,  therefore,  on  the  I2th  of  April,  the  attack 
upon  Fort  Sumter  in  Charleston  Harbor  was  made, 
the  Northern  people  were  almost  startled  by  sur- 
prise. Though  entirely  unprepared  for  such  an 
event,  it  was  clearly  demonstrated  to  all  that  war 
could  now  no  longer  be  honorably  avoided.  It 
was  now  too  late  to  inquire  into  original  causes  of 
the  contest ;  it  remained  only  for  the  loyal  heart 
to  resent  the  insult  to  a  nation's  flag,  and  to  sus- 
tain the  government  in  upholding  its  constitution 


106  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

and  in  enforcing  its  laws.  This  act  fired  the  pa- 
triotic heart  and  solidified  the  patriotic  ranks,  and, 
with  the  crumbling  of  the  walls  upon  Fort  Sum- 
ter,  were  shattered  all  the  hopes  previously  enter- 
tained of  a  peaceful  solution  of  the  problems  which 
were  then  before  the  country.  I  have  very  little 
doubt  that  the  assault  upon  Fort  Sumter  was  ordered 
by  the  rebel  government,  under  the  fallacious  hope 
and  groundless  belief  that  it  would  not  provoke 
immediate  or  wide-spread  civil  war.  The  Southern 
leaders  were  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  frontier 
could  not  be  entirely  stripped  of  regulars,  and  as- 
suming, or  pretending  to,  that  the  existing  laws 
contained  no  provision  authorizing  a  call  of  the 
militia,  they  inferred  that  it  would  be  difficult  for 
the  new  administration  to  obtain  at  once  legislation 
of  a  coercive  character.  Then,  too,  they  relied,  in 
a  great  measure,  upon  a  friendly  feeling  toward  the 
South  from  their  late  political  associates  in  the 
North ;  but  in  this  their  reckoning  was  at  fault, 
and  the  roar  of  Beauregard's  guns  in  Charleston 
Harbor  cleared  up  the  political  horizon  as  if  by 
magic. 

There  could  no  longer  be  any  doubt  as  to  the 
position  and  intentions  of  the  Confederates.  Seven 
disloyal  States,  with  all  their  machinery  of  a  separate 
government,  stood  behind  those  batteries,  and  the 
cool  deliberation  of  the  assault  gave  evidence  of 
plan,  of  purpose  and  of  confidence.  What  had  been 


ACCEPTS    A     MISSION.  107 

believed  to  be  a  mere  conspiracy  for  the  gaining  of 
certain  political  ends,  now  gave  way  to  a  revolution, 
which  menaced  the  perpetuity  of  the  government 
and  which  required  the  armed  force  of  the  govern- 
ment to  combat  and  subdue. 

The  news  of  the  assault  upon  Sumter  reached 
Washington  on  Saturday,  the  I3th  day  of  April, 
and  on  the  following  day,  Sunday  though  it  was, 
President  Lincoln  assembled  his  Cabinet  to  discuss 
the  duty  of  the  hour,  and  on  Monday  morning  a  proc- 
lamation was  issued,  calling  forth  an  army  of  seventy- 
five  thousand  men,  for  objects  entirely  lawful  and 
constitutional. 

The  effect  of  this  proclamation  upon  the  people 
of  the  North  was  almost  electrical,  and  the  heart  of  the 
whole  nation  throbbed  with  its  patriotic  emotions  as 
that  of  a  single  individual.  The  general  sentiment 
appeared  to  be  in  entire  accord  with  the  utterance 
of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  a  live-long  Democrat,  that 
"  every  man  must  be  for  the  United  States,  or  against 
it ;  there  can  be  no  neutrals  in  this  war — only  patriots 
and  traitors."  More  than  double  the  number  of  men 
that  were  required  tendered  their  services,  and  before 
the  lapse  of  forty-eight  hours  armed  companies  and 
regiments  of  volunteers  were  in  motion  toward  the 
expected  border  of  conflict.  Nor  was  there  exhibited 
that  division  of  Northern  sentiment  that  had  been  so 
boastfully  predicted  by  the  Southern  leaders,  and  all 
men,  of  every  belief,  Democrats  and  Republicans. 


io8  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

Conservatives  and  Radicals,  natives  and  foreigners, 
from  Maine  to  Oregon,  responded  to  the  call,  and 
came  to  the  defense  of  the  constitution,  the  govern- 
ment and  the  Union. 

At  this  time  the  position  of  Maryland  was  rather 
a  precarious  one.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  the 
Unionists  were  greatly  in  the  majority,  but  it  was 
also  true  that  there  was  a  large  and  influential  mi- 
nority of  her  people  in  favor  of  secession.  Here,  as 
elsewhere,  conspiracy  had  been  at  work  for  months, 
and  many  of  the  prominent  political  leaders  were  in 
full  accord  with  the  rebel  government.  The  legis- 
lature was  believed  to  be  unreliable,  and  treason  had 
obtained  so  firm  a  foothold  in  the  populous  city  of 
Baltimore,  that  a  secret  recruiting  office  was  sending 
enlisted  men  to  Charleston.  The  venomous  germ  of 
treason,  once  planted,  grew  in  magnitude  and  viru- 
lence, until  it  finally  culminated  in  the  infamous  riot 
of  April  i Qth,  when  the  blood  of  the  citizen  soldiery 
of  Massachusetts  was  first  shed  in  defense  of  the 
Union.  A  spirit  of  opposition  to  the  passage  of 
Northern  troops  through  the  city,  on  their  way  to  the 
seat  of  government,  had  been  engendered  among  the 
"  rough  "  element  of  Baltimore,  and  the  excitement 
reached  its  climax  upon  the  arrival  of  the  Sixth 
Massachusetts  Regiment,  which  was  the  first  to 
answer  the  call  for  troops.  When  their  presence 
became  known  the  traitorous  element  could  no  longer 

o 

be  restrained,  and  while  the  men  were  passing  quietly 


ACCEPTS    A    MISSION.  109 

through  the  city,  on  their  way  from  one  railroad 
station  to  another,  they  were  murderously  attacked 
by  a  reckless,  howling  mob,  which  resulted  in  blood- 
shed and  carnage,  and  some  of  the  most  fiendish  out- 
rages were  perpetrated  that  ever  blackened  a  page  of 
American  history. 

The  crowning  act  of  disloyalty,  and  one  which 
threatened  the  most  serious  consequences  to  the 
government,  was  committed  about  midnight  of  the 
same  day.  A  secret  order  was  issued  by  the  mayor 
and  police  officers  to  burn  the  nearest  bridges  on  the 
railroads  leading  into  Baltimore  from  the  free  States, 
and  parties,  under  the  command  of  the  police  authori- 
ties were  dispatched  to  execute  the  order. 

Before  daylight  the  following  morning,  the 
bridges  at  Mel  vale,  Relay  House  and  Cockeysville, 
on  the  Harrisburg  road  and  over  the  Bush  and  Gun- 
powder rivers  and  Harris  Creek,  were  completely  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  thus  effectually  severing  railroad  com- 
munication with  the  North.  The  telegraph  wires 
leading  to  and  from  the  capital  were  also  cut,  com- 
pletely shutting  off  Washington,  and  the  government 
from  the  loyal  Northern  States.  These  acts,  com- 
mited  by  the  orders  of  the  very  men  who  that  morn- 
ing had  risked  their  lives  in  defending  the  soldiers  of 
the  Union,  are  sufficient  to  show  the  rapid  and  over- 
mastering influence  of  revolutionary  madness. 

Of  course,  the  news  of  these  outrages  spread  far 
and  wide  over  the  country,  and  while  they  aroused 


1 1  o  TIMO  TH  Y     WEBS  TER 

universal  indignation,  they  nevertheless  were  the 
occasion  of  grave  fears  for  the  safety  of  the  capi- 
tal. 

It  was  on  the  2ist  of  April,  two  days  after 
the  occurrence  of  these  events  that  my  services  were 
required.  Several  gentlemen  of  prominence  in  Chi- 
cago, intimate  friends  of  President  Lincoln,  and  men 
of  influence  and  intelligence  in  the  State,  desired  to 
communicate  with  the  President  upon  questions  con- 
nected with  the  existing  condition  of  affairs,  and  ap- 
plied to  me  for  the  purpose  of  having  letters  and  dis- 
patches conveyed  directly  to  Washington  by  the 
hands  of  a  trusty  messenger. 

I  at  once  accepted  the  duty,  and  selected  a  man 
for  its  performance.  Experience  proved  that  I  was 
not  mistaken  in  my  selection,  and  as  the  messenger 
chosen  for  this  duty  is  to  bear  an  important  part  in 
the  event,  which  I  am  about  to  relate,  a  description  of 
him  will  at  once  acquaint  the  reader  with  his  personal 
appearance. 

He  was  a  tall,  broad-shouldered,  good-looking  man 
of  about  forty  years  of  age.  In  height  he  was  about 
five  feet  ten  inches ;  his  brown  hair,  which  was 
brushed  carelessly  back  from  a  broad,  high  forehead, 
surmounted  a  face  of  a  character  to  at  once  attract 
attention. 

There  was  such  a  decided  mixture  of  sternness 
and  amiability,  of  innate  force  and  gentle  feelings,  of 
frankness  and  resolution  stamped  upon  his  features, 


ACCEPTS    A     MISSION.  in 

that  he  instinctively  impressed  the  beholder  at  a 
glance. 

The  deep  gray  eyes  could  twinkle  and  sparkle 
with  good  humor,  or  they  would  grow  dark  and 
menacing,  and  seem  to  flash  under  the  influence  of 
anger.  The  mouth,  almost  concealed  by  the  heavy 
brown  mustaches  which  he  wore,  and  the  square, 
firm  chin  evinced  a  firmness  that  was  unmistakable. 
His  nose,  large  and  well-formed,  and  the  prominent 
cheek  bones  all  seemed  in  perfect  harmony  with  the 
bold  spirit  which  leaped  from  the  eyes,  and  the 
strong  will  that  lurked  about  the  set  lips.  In  figure, 
he  was  rather  stout,  but  his  shoulders  were  so  broad, 
his  feet  and  hands  so  shapely,  and  the  lithe  limbs  so 
well  formed,  that  he  did  not  appear  of  as  full  habit 
as  he  really  was.  A  casual  observer  on  meeting  this 
man  would  almost  immediately  and  insensibly  be 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  he  was  a  man 
who  could  be  trusted  ;  that  any  duty  devolving  upon 
him  would  be  sacredly  kept ;  and  as  he  stood  before 
me  on  this  sunny  afternoon  in  April,  I  felt  that  I 
could  implicitly  rely  upon  him  in  any  emergency  in 
which  he  might  be  placed,  and  to  perform  any  service 
for  which  he  might  be  selected. 

This  man  was  Timothy  Webster,  a  faithful  officer, 
a  true  friend,  and  an  ardent  patriot. 

I  had  known  this  man  for  years.  He  had  been 
in  my  employ  for  a  long  time,  and  had  been  engaged 
upon  operations  of  a  varied  and  diverse  nature,  con- 


1 1 2  TIMO  TH  Y     WEBS  TER 

sequently  I  knew  precisely  what  his  capabilities  were, 
and  how  entirely  he  could  be  trusted.  Though  not 
a  man  of  great  enlightenment,  he  was  gifted  with  a 
large  amount  of  natural  shrewdness,  which  enabled 
him  to  successfully  meet  any  emergency  which  might 
arise.  From  his  association  with  people  in  the  vari- 
ous walks  of  life,  he  had  acquired  that  habit  of  easy 
adaptation  which  made  him  appear,  and  feel,  perfectly 
at  home  in  almost  any  society,  whether  in  the  draw- 
ing-room or  the  tavern,  in  the  marts  of  trade,  or  la- 
boring at  the  plow. 

From  my  knowledge  of  Timothy  Webster,  and 
my  confidence  in  his  wisdom  and  reliability,  I  had 
chosen  him  to  be  the  bearer  of  the  dispatches  to  Mr. 
Lincoln.  I  therefore  called  him  into  my  office  and 
explained  to  him  the  nature  of  the  duties  he  was  to 
perform,  the  possible  dangers  he  would  encounter, 
and  the  importance  of  the  trust  that  was  to  be  re- 
posed in  him,  and  when  I  had  concluded,  I  asked : 

"Timothy,  knowing  what  you  do  of  the  task 
before  you,  will  you  undertake  its  performance?" 

"  I  understand  all  perfectly,"  he  replied,  drawing 
himself  up  to  his  full  height,  while  his  eyes  flashed 
with  a  patriotic  fire,  "  I  know  that  my  country  de- 
mands my  services,  and  that,  if  it  shall  cost  me  my 
life,  I  am  ready  to  perform  my  full  duty." 

The  preparations  for  his  departure  did  not  occupy 
a  very  long  time  ;  the  services  of  Miss  Kate  Warne, 
my  female  superintendent,  were  requested,  and  in 


ACCEPTS    A    MISSION.  n3 

a  few  minutes  the  important  dispatches,  some 
twelve  in  number,  were  securely  sewed  between  the 
linings  of  his  coat  collar,  and  in  the  body  of  his  waist- 
coat, and  Timothy  Webster  was  on  his  way  to  the 
capital  of  the  country. 


A    COLORED    CONTRABAND 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Webster  on  his  Way  to  the  Capital. —  Wrecked  Trains  and 
Broken  Bridges. — An  Adventure  with  a  Cavalryman. — 
Rebel  Emissary. — President  Lincoln  and  Timothy  Webster. 

EVERYWHERE  along  the  route  the  greatest 
excitement  prevailed,  and  the  people  were 
in  a  state  of  wildest  commotion.  A  rumor  had 
spread  throughout  the  country  that  the  govern- 
ment, indignant  at  the  riotous  conduct  of  the 
Baltimoreans,  had  ordered  the  guns  of  Fort  Mc- 
Henry  to  fire  upon  the  city,  that  the  bombardment 
was  now  goin^;  on,  and  that  half  the  town  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  This  rumor  was  false,  as  Web- 
ster learned  on  arriving  in  Philadelphia,  although 
even  in  the  staid  old  Quaker  City  there  was 
manifest  a  degree  of  excitement  scarcely  to  be 
expected  in  a  community  so  sedate  and  easy- 
going as  Philadelphians  usually  are. 

Leaving  the  train  at  Philadelphia,  Webster  made 
his  way  through  the  crowded  streets  to  the  center 
of  the  city.  He  deemed  it  best  to  take  counsel 
with  some  of  the  railroad  and  express  officials,  with 
whom  he  was  very  well  acquainted,  by  reason  of  his 
connection  with  the  discovery  of  the  conspiracy  to 

["4] 


WRECKED     TRAINS.  115 

assassinate  President  Lincoln  in  Baltimore  in  the 
month  of  February  immediately  preceding. 

At  that  time  Webster  had  been  enrolled  as  a  mem- 
ber of  a  volunteer  company  of  cavalry  at  Perrymans- 
ville,  in  Maryland,  and,  gaining  the  confidence  of  his 
officers,  had  assisted  in  discovering  the  plans  of  the 
conspirators,  and  partly  through  his  efforts,  I  had 
been  successful  in  frustrating  their  murderous  de- 
signs. This  operation  had  brought  him  in  close 
association  with  several  gentlemen  who  were  con- 
nected with  the  railroad  and  express  companies, 
whose  travel  lay  between  Philadelphia  and  the 
now  riotous  and  isolated  city  of  Baltimore.  As  he 
was  walking  leisurely  down  Chestnut  street  he  was 
accosted  by  Mr.  Dunn,  a  gentleman  who  was  con- 
nected with  a  leading  express  company  in  the  city,  and 
who  was  now  upon  his  return  from  a  visit  to  the  Phila- 
delphia, Wilmington  and  Baltimore  depot.  After  an 
interchange  of  salutations,  Webster  inquired  of  Mr. 
Dunn  the  condition  of  affairs  in  and  around  Baltimore. 

"  Very  bad,  indeed,"  replied  that  gentleman  ;  "  the 
bridges  are  all  down,  and  the  tracks  have  been 
torn  up  all  along  the  road  from  Perrysville  to 
Baltimore.  The  telegraph-wires  have  been  cut,  and 
no  communications  have  been  received  from  Balti- 
more or  Washington  except  through  couriers.  The 
roads  are  guarded  with  soldiery,  whose  sympathies 
are  with  the  rebellion,  and  it  is  almost  impossible 
for  any  one  who  cannot  identify  himself  as  a  South- 


n6  WRECKED     TRAINS 

ern  man  to  pass  the  guards  who  are  stationed 
along  the  highways." 

"It  does  not  look  very  favorable  for  my  reaching 
Washington  to-morrow,  then  ?"  said  Webster,  inquir- 
ingly. 

"  No,  sir.  I  am  afraid  that  you  will  find  it  difficult,  if 
not  dangerous,  to  attempt  such  a  journey,  particularly 
by  the  way  of  Baltimore  ;  and  perhaps  you  had  better 
delay  your  departure  until  it  can  be  more  safely  ac- 
complished," said  Mr.  Dunn. 

"  It  may  be  as  you  say,"  replied  Webster,  "  but  I 
left  Chicago  for  Washington,  and  my  line  of  travel 
was  laid  out  through  Baltimore.  I  will  obey  my 
orders  to  the  letter,  and  I  will  arrive  in  Washington 
to-morrow  night,  or  lose  my  life  in  attempting  it !" 

"  I  see  that  you  are  determined  to  go,"  said  Mr. 
Dunn,  "  and  further  argument  would  be  of  no  avail ; 
but  I  assure  you,  that  you  cannot  travel  further  by 
rail  than  Perrysville ;  you  may  succeed  in  getting 
across  the  river  to  Havre  de  Grace,  but  after  that  you 
will  have  to  rely  entirely  upon  yourself." 

"  Never  fear  for  me,"  replied  Webster,  with  a 
smile,  "  I  will  get  through  all  right,  I  feel  confident. 
I  will  have  but  little  time  now  to  catch  the  train,  Mr. 
Dunn,  and  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  telegraph  to 
Mr.  Pinkerton  according  to  my  directions,  I  will  es- 
teem it  a  great  favor." 

"  Certainly,  Webster  ;  anything  I  can  do  for  you, 
or  Mr.  Pinkerton,  will  be  done  cheerfully." 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  117 

Writing  out  a  message,  informing  me  of  his  arrival 
in  Philadelphia  and  of  his  intentions,  he  requested 
Mr.  Dunn  to  forward  the  same,  and  then,  bidding  that 
gentleman  good-bye,  he  made  his  way  to  the  Balti- 
more depot,  and  was  soon  on  the  road  to  that  city. 

As  the  train  went  speeding  along  upon  its  jour- 
ney, Webster  had  ample  time  for  the  consideration  of 
his  plans.  He  was  pretty  well  acquainted  with  the 
country  between  Havre  de  Grace  and  Baltimore,  and 
had  no  fear  of  losing  his  way,  even  if  the  journey 
must  be  made  by  foot.  He  was  impressed,  however, 
with  the  necessity  of  using  the  utmost  caution.  While 
he  did  not  fear  for  his  own  personal  safety — for  fear 
was  an  element  entirely  unknown  to  him — he  realized 
the  importance  of  his  mission  too  well  to  rashly  im- 
peril its  success  by  any  useless  exposure,  or  unneces- 
sary risk.  To  reach  Washington,  however,  he  was 
determined,  and  to  accomplish  that  object  no  danger 
would  be  too  great,  no  hardship  too  severe.  He 
nevertheless  felt  that  he  must  rely  solely  upon  him- 
self, that  he  would  have  no  one  to  advise  him,  and 
his  own  discretion  and  wisdom  would  have  to  be 
depended  upon  under  all  circumstances.  Arriving  at 
the  Perrysville  station,  he  found  that  the  train  could  go 
no  further,  and  that,  to  reach  Havre  de  Grace,  upon- the 
opposite  side  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  the  passen- 
gers would  be  requied  to  take  small  boats  and  be 
rowed  over,  after  which  each  man  must  make  his 
way  as  best  he  could. 


n8  WRECKED     TRAINS 

As  the  boat  touched  the  land  Webster  sprang 
ashore,  and,  going  directly  to  the  hotel,  inquired  for 
the  landlord.  He  found  that  gentleman  engaged  in 
earnest  conversation  with  an  individual  who  at  once 
instinctively  awakened  the  suspicions  of  my  operative. 
This  gentleman  was  a  tall,  fine-looking  man,  with  the 
erect  carriage  and  and  self-reliant  air  of  the  soldier, 
but  there  was  something  in  the  nervousness  of  his 
manner,  and  in  the  furtive  glances  of  his  eyes,  which 
convinced  Webster  that  he  was  concealing  something 
and  would  bear  watching. 

Approaching  the  spot  where  the  two  men  were 
conversing,  Webster  at  once  addressed  the  landlord 
in  a  hearty  manner.  "  Landlord,  I  must  get  to  Balti- 
more to-day.  How  am  I  going  to  do  it  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  hotel-keeper,  "  this 
gentleman  is  anxious  to  do  the  same  thing,  but  I  am 
afraid  I  cannot  help  either  of  you." 

The  gentleman  thus  referred  to  turned  to  Web- 
ster, saying : 

"Yes,  I  am  very  anxious  to  get  through.  I  am  a 
bearer  of  dispatches  to  the  British  Consul  at  Wash- 
ington, and  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  they 
should  be  delivered  at  once." 

While  he  was  speaking  a  man  drove  up  to  the 
front  of  the  hotel  with  a  fine,  strong  team  of  horses 
attached  to  a  covered  road  wagon,  and  throwing  the 
reins  across  the  back  of  his  horses,  leaped  lightly  to 
the  ground. 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  119 

"  Here  is  a  man  who  can  help  you,"  said  the  land- 
lord, as  the  new-comer  entered  the  room ;  and  then  he 
called  out : 

"  Harris,  come  here  !" 

The  driver  of  the  team  came  over  to  where  the 
three  men  were  standing,  and  the  landlord  at  once 
made  known  to  him  the  wishes  of  Webster  and  the 
messenger  of  the  British  Consul. 

"  Harris,  these  gentlemen  want  to  get  to  Balti- 
more to  day.  Do  you  think  you  can  manage  it  for 
them  T 

The  man  addressed  as  Harris  gazed  at  Webster 
and  his  companion  in  a  scrutinizing  manner,  and 
finally,  apparently  satisfied  with  his  investigation, 
signified  his  willingness  to  make  the  attempt,  provided 
the  price  he  demanded,  which  was  fifty  dollars,  was 
agreed  to. 

Both  men  assented  to  the  payment  of  the  sum 
named,  and  after  dinner  had  been  partaken  of,  the 
two  men  took  their  seats  in  the  vehicle,  the  driver 
cracked  his  whip,  and  they  were  upon  their  way. 

"  I  cannot  promise  to  take  you  through  to  Balti- 
more," remarked  the  driver,  after  they  had  started  ; 
"  I  was  stopped  twice  on  the  road  yesterday,  and  I 
may  not  be  able  to  pass  the  guards  to-day." 

"  Do  the  best  you  can,"  said  Webster,  good-na- 
,  turedly,  "and  we  will  take  the  risk  of  a  safe  arrival." 

Webster  then  turned  to  his  companion,  who  had 
remained  silent  and  watchful  ever  since  they  had  set 


120  WRECKED     TRAINS 

out,  and  endeavored  to  engage  him  in  conversation. 
The  bearer  of  dispatches,  however,  was  very  little  in- 
clined to  be  sociable,  and  Webster  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  breaking  through  the  reserve  which  he  re- 
solved to  maintain. 

The  further  they  journeyed,  the  more  Webster 
became  convinced  that  this  man  was  not  what  he  as- 
sumed to  be,  but  he  vailed  his  suspicions  carefully, 
and  appeared  as  frank  and  cordial  in  his  manner  as 
though  they  were  brothers. 

Nothing  worthy  of  note  transpired  upon  the  route 
until  the  party  arrived  at  the  outskirts  of  Perrymans- 
ville,  which  had  been  the  scene  of  Webster's  first  ex- 
perience in  military  service,  and  where,  a  few  months 
before,  he  had  been  a  member  of  a -company  of  cav- 
alry. They  were  trotting  along  quietly,  and  as  the 
day  was  balmy  and  bright  the  ride  was  quite  an  en- 
joyable one,  and  for  a  moment  the  detective  forgot 
the  grave  duties  which  he  had  undertaken  and  the 
dangers  that  might  surround  him,  and  gave  himself 
up  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  scenes  around  him. 
His  pleasant  reflections  were  short-lived,  however,  for 
just  as  they  were  entering  the  town  they  saw  a 
mounted  cavalryman  approaching,  who,  as  he  reached 
the  carriage,  commanded  them  to  halt. 

The  driver  suddenly  pulled  up  his  horses,  and  then 
the  soldier,  in  a  tone  of  authority  :  "  Who  are  you, 
and  where  are  you  going  ?" 

"  We  are  residents  of  Baltimore,"  answered  Web- 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES,  121 

ster,  not  at  all  dismayed  by  the  stern  appearance  and 
manner  of  his  soldierly  interlocutor,  "and  we  are 
endeavoring  to  get  home." 

"  You  will  have  to  go  with  me,"  replied  the  sol- 
dier, decisively,  "you  can't  go  any  further  without 
permission." 

Here  was  a  detention  as  unwelcome  as  it  was 
unexpected,  but  Webster  had  recognized  the  uniform 
worn  by  the  soldier  as  that  of  the  very  company  of 
cavalry  he  had  previously  been  a  member  of,  and  a 
duplicate  of  one  in  which  he  had  previously  arrayed 
himself.  The  man  who  had  accosted  him,  however, 
was  unknown  to  him,  and  he  could,  therefore,  do 
nothing  but  submit  quietly  to  his  orders  and  await  a 
favorable  operation  of  circumstances. 

As  Webster  glanced  casually  at  his  companion, 
the  British  messenger,  he  was  surprised  at  the  change 
which  was  apparent  in  the  expression  of  his  features. 
Instead  of  the  calm,  dignified  air  of  watchful  repose 
which  he  had  observed  before,  his  face  had  grown 
pale,  and  there  was  such  an  unmistakable  evidence 
of  fear  about  the  man,  that  Webster's  suspicions  were 
confirmed,  and  come  what  might  he  resolved  to  as- 
certain the  nature  of  his  business  before  they  parted 
company. 

They  had  traveled  but  a  short  distance  under 
the  escort  of  their  guard  when  they  met  another  man 
dressed  in  a  similar  uniform,  and  evidently  a  member 
of  the  same  company,  and  as  Webster  gazed  at  the 


122  WRECKED     TRAINS 

new-comer  he  experienced  a  sensation  of  relief  and 
joy,  for  in  him  he  recognized  an  old  companion  in 
arms. 

As  this  man  approached  nearer,  Webster  called 
out  from  the  carriage,  i»  a  cheery  voice : 

"  Hello,  Taylor  !  how  are  you  ?" 

Thus  suddenly  accosted,  the  soldier  rode  up  to 
the  vehicle,  and  after  a  momentary  glance  at  the 
features  of  the  detective,  he  reached  forth  his  hand 
and  cordially  saluted  him. 

"  Why,  Webster,  how  do  you  do  ?  The  boys  said 
you  would  not  come  back,  now  that  the  war  had  com- 
menced, but  I  knew  better,  and  I  am  glad  to  see 
you." 

The  face  of  the  reputed  Englishman  cleared  in 
an  instant,  as  he  found  that  his  companion  was 
among  friends,  and  this  effect  was  not  lost  upon 
Webster,  who  had  been  furtively  observing  him.  He 
turned  his  attention,  however,  to  the  soldier  who 
had  addressed  him. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  come  back  ;  and 
my  friend  here  and  I  are  anxious  to  get  to  Baltimore 
as  soon  as  possible." 

"  That  will  be  all  right,"  said  the  soldier;  and 
then,  turning  to  his  comrade,  he  said  :  "  These  men 
are  all  right,  you  will  permit  them  to  pass." 

After  a  few  minutes  spent  in  a  pleasant  conver- 
sation, the  soldier  handed  to  Webster  a  pass  which 
would  prevent  further  interruption  to  their  journey, 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  123 

and  with  a  mutual  pull  at  a  flask  with  which  Webster 
had  provided  himself  before  starting,  the  parties  sep- 
arated, and  they  proceeded  on  their  way. 

This  little  incident  produced  a  marked  change  in 
the  demeanor  of  Webster's  companion,  and  on  being 
informed  that  the  soldiers  were  Southerners,  and  not 
Federals,  he  seemed  quite  relieved. 

By  the  time  they  were  approaching  the  suburbs 
of  Baltimore  the  stranger  had  grown  exceedingly 
communicative,  and  upon  Webster  hinting  to  him 
that  he  also  was  engaged  in  the  cause  of  the  South, 
he  without  hesitation  informed  my  operative  that  he 
was  similarly  employed,  and  that  he  was  at  present 
carrying  dispatches  to  prominent  Southern  sympa- 
thizers then  residing  in  Washington. 

As  he  communicated  this  important  item  of  infor- 
mation Webster  grasped  him  warmly  by  the  hand, 
and  greeted  him  as  a  fellow-patriot,  after  which,  with 
rare  good  humor,  they  cemented  their  acquaintance 
and  confidence  with  a  friendly  draught  from  the 
spirit  bottle. 

Several  times  on  their  journey  they  were  halted 
by  the  guards  along  the  roads,  but  the  talismanic  pass 
obtained  at  Perrymansville  avoided  all  questioning, 
and  gained  for  the  travelers  a  safe  passage  to  their 
destination.  Arriving  safely  at  the  outskirts  of  Balti- 
more, the  two  men  left  the  carriage,  and  walking  a 
short  distance,  they  entered  a  street  car,  and  were 
driven  to  a  retired  hotel,  where  Webster  had  fre- 


124  WRECKED     TRAINS 

quently  stopped  when  in  the  city  on  former  occasions. 
Here  they  engaged  quarters  for  the  night,  and 
Webster's  companion  had  by  this  time  formed  such 
an  attachment  for  his  fellow-traveler  that  communi- 
cating rooms  were  engaged,  and  after  partaking  of  a 
hearty  repast,  the  two  men  lighted  their  cigars  and 
strolled  out  through  the  city. 

There  were  still  many  evidences  of  the  riotous 
affrays  which  had  but  lately  taken  place.  The  people 
were  in  a  feverish  state  of  excitement,  the  drinking 
saloons  and  the  corridors  of  the  hotels  were  filled 
with  crowds  of  excited  men,  each  of  whom  seemed  to 
vie  with  the  other  in  giving  loud  expressions  of  their 
opinions,  and  of  denouncing  the  attempt  of  the 
government  to  transport  armed  troops  through  the 
streets  of  a  peaceful  city.  Ever  mindful  of  the 
important  duty  devolving  upon  him,  Webster  wisely 
forebore  to  engage  in  any  conversation  with  those 
whom  he  met,  and  among  the  number  of  the  most 
outspoken  of  the  Southern  sympathizers  were  many 
whom  he  had  previously  met,  and  to  whom  he  was 
known  as  an  adherent  of  the  South.  At  an  early 
hour  he  and  his  newly  found  companion  returned  to 
their  hotel,  and  shortly  afterward  retired  for  the 
night. 

Arising  early  on  the  following  morning,  they 
found  the  same  difficulty  was  to  be  encountered  that 
had  been  successfully  overcome  at  the  commencement 
of  their  journey.  The  railroads  between  Baltimore 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  125 

and  Washington  had  also  been  torn  up,  so  as  to 
render  the  running  of  the  trains  an  impossibility. 
This  fact  necessitated  the  procuring  of  a  team  that 
would  convey  them  to  the  capital ;  but  this  time 
Webster's  acquaintance  with  the  proprietors  of  the 
hotel,  and  several  of  the  permanent  guests  of  the 
house,  enabled  them  without  difficulty  or  delay  to  se- 
cure a  pair  of  horses  and  a  road  wagon,  with  a  trusty 
driver,  who  guaranteed  to  carry  them  to  Washington 
for  the  same  amount  which  had  been  paid  upon 
the  other  portion  of  their  journey,  and  at  an  early 
hour  they  were  upon  the  road  to  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment. 

Meantime  Webster  had  been  seriously  considering 
his  course  of  action  with  regard  to  his  fellow-passen- 
ger. That  he  was  an  agent  of  the  Confederacy  he 
had  already  admitted,  and  that  he  was  the  bearer  of 
dispatches  to  prominent  sympathizers  with  the  South 
who  were  now  living  in  Washington,  was  also  well 
known  to  the  detective.  How,  therefore,  to  arrange 
his  plans,  so  that  these  papers  would  be  intercepted 
and  the  ambassador  detained  without  arousing  his 
suspicion  ?  It  must  be  accomplished  so  that  no  delay 
should  result  to  his  own  journey,  as  he  had  resolved 
that  his  dispatches  must  be  delivered  that  day.  Just 
before  starting  out  an  idea  occurred  to  him,  and  re- 
questing the  driver  to  wait  a  few  minutes,  as  he  had 
forgotten  something  in  his  room,  he  re-entered  the 
hotel,  and  going  to  the  room  they  had  occupied  the 


i26  WRECKED     TRAINS 

evening  before,  he  hurriedly  wrote  a  note,  which  he 
folded  up  and  placed  in  his  pocket.  The  note  was  as 
follows  : 

"  To  WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN  : 

"  My  companion  is  an  emissary  of  the  Confederacy, 
carrying  dispatches  to  Southern  sympathizers  in 
Washington.  Apprehend  him,  but  do  so  discreetly 
and  without  compromising  me.  T.  W." 

He  then  descended  the  stairs,  and  entering  the 
wagon,  they  were  driven  away  towards  Washington. 
The  day  was  exceedingly  warm,  and  the  horses,  un- 
used to  long  journeys,  early  began  to  show  signs  of 
weakness,  but  they  kept  on  without  incident,  save  an 
occasional  question  from  a  passer-by  as  to  their 
destination,  and  about  noon  arrived  at  a  hotel  known 
as  the  "  Twelve-Mile  House,"  so  called  from  its  being 
located  at  that  distance  from  Washington. 

Here  the  party  halted  for  dinner,  and  while  en- 
gaged at  their  repast  Webster  noticed  at  an  opposite 
table  a  friend  of  years  ago,  who  wore  the  uniform  of 
a  Lieutenant  of  infantry.  Fortunately,  however,  the 
officer  did  not  appear  to  recognize  him,  and  during 
the  progress  of  the  dinner  Webster  kept  his  face 
hidden  as  much  as  possible  from  his  new-found  friend. 
As  the  Lieutenant  ceased  eating  and  arose  from  the 
table,  Webster,  who  also  had  about  completed  the 
bill  of  fare,  arose,  and  excusing  himself  to  the  driver 
and  his  companion,  passed  out  into  the  hallway  and 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  127 

met  the  officer  face  to  face.  Cordial  greetings  were 
interchanged,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Webster  had  de- 
tailed to  his  friend  the  circumstances  attending  his 
meeting  with  the  so-called  British  messenger,  and  his 
suspicions  concerning  them.  It  was  not  long  before 
a  plan  had  been  arranged  for  the  carrying  out  of  the 
project  of  arresting  the  pseudo  Englishman  without 
occasioning  the  slightest  suspicion  to  fall  .upon 
Timothy  Webster,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  Lieuten- 
ant mounted  his  horse  and  rode  off  in  the  direction  of 
Washington. 

After  smoking  their  after-dinner  cigars,  Webster 
and  his  companion  again  resumed  their  journey.  By 
this  time  they  had  become  thoroughly  acquainted, 
and  they  enlivened  their  drive  with  many  a  pleasing 
anecdote  of  experience  or  of  invention,  until  they 
came  in  sight  of  Washington  city.  Here  a  difficulty 
awaited  them,  apparently  unexpected  by  both  travel- 
ers. A  Lieutenant  at  the  head  of  eight  men  emerged 
from  a  house  by  the  wayside,  and  in  a  voice  of  au- 
thority directed  the  driver  to  stop  his  horses,  after 
which  he  advanced  to  the  vehicle  and  saluted  the 
occupants  with  the  utmost  courtesy,  saying  : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  sorry  to  discommode  you,  but  I 
have  orders  to  intercept  all  persons  entering  the  city, 
and  hold  them  until  they  can  satisfactorily  account 
for  themselves.  You  will  be  kind  enough  to  consider 
yourselves  under  arrest  and  follow  me." 

Blank  astonishment  was  depicted  on  the  counte- 


128  WRECKED     TRAINS 

nances  of  both  Webster  and  his  companion,  but  realiz- 
ing that  to  parley  would  be  useless,  the  two  men 
dismounted  and  followed  the  lieutenant  and  his  men 
into  the  building,  which  proved  to  be  a  military 
guard-house. 

Here  they  were  separated  and  conducted  to 
different  apartments,  where  they  were  securely  locked 
in,  Webster's  companion  standing  outside  of  the 
door  of  the  room  in  which  Webster  was  placed,  and 
after  witnessing  the  operation  which  confined  Web- 
ster a  prisoner,  he  was  conducted  to  the  room  as- 
signed to  him,  and  the  key  was  turned  upon  him. 

In  a  few  minutes  afterwards  Webster  was  quietly 
released  by  the  Lieutenant  who  had  effected  his  ar- 
rest, and  who  was  none  other  than  the  friend  to  whom 
he  had  given  the  information.  In  less  than  half  an 
hour  thereafter  my  detective  was  ascending  the  steps 
of  the  White  House,  inquiring  for  his  Excellency, 
the  President  of  the  United  States. 

Having  also  been  provided  with  a  letter  to  the 
President's  private  secretary,  Mr.  Nicolay,  Webster 
was  soon  ushered  into  the  presence  of  Mr.  Lincoln, 
to  whom  he  made  known  the  nature  of  his  business, 
and  taking  off  his  coat  and  vest,  he  removed  the 
dispatches  and  letters,  and  handed  them  to  the  Pres- 
ident, who  had  been  silently  watching  his  movements 
with  a  great  deal  of  amused  interest. 

"  You  have  brought  quite  a  mail  with  you,  Mr. 
Webster,"  said  the  President,  "more,  perhaps,  than 


AND    BROKEN    BRIDGES.  129 

it  would  be  quite  safe  to  attempt  to  carry  another 
time." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Webster.  "  I  don't  think  I 
would  like  to  carry  so  much  through  Baltimore  an- 
other time." 

The  President  carefully  looked  over  the  papers 
he  had  just  received,  and  finding  that  they  re- 
quired more  consideration  than  could  be  given  to 
them  at  that  time,  he  turned  to  Webster  and  said  : 

"  Mr.  Webster,  I  have  a  Cabinet  conference  this 
evening,  and  I  will  not  be  able  to  give  these  matters 
my  attention  until  to-morrow.  Come  to  me  at  ten 
o'clock  and  I  will  see  you  at  that  time." 

Again  thanking  the  detective  for  the  service  he 
had  so  successfully  rendered,  he  bade  him  good  even- 
ing, and  Webster  sought  his  hotel,  thoroughly  ex- 
hausted with  his  journey,  and  soon  after  he  was  sound 
asleep. 

The  next  morning,  on  repairing  to  the  White 
House,  he  was  at  once  admitted,  and  the  President 
greeted  him  with  marked  evidences  of  cordiality. 

"  Mr.  Webster,  you  have  rendered  the  country  an 
invaluable  service.  The  bearer  of  dispatches  who 
was  arrested  last  evening  by  your  efforts,  proved,  as 
you  suspected,  to  be  an  emissary  of  the  South,  and 
the  letters  found  upon  him  disclose  a  state  of  affairs 
here  in  Washington  quite  alarming.  Several  promi- 
nent families  here  are  discovered  to  be  -in  regular 
communication  with  the  Southern  leaders,  and  are 

9 


130  WRECKED     TRAINS. 

furnishing  them  with  every  item  of  information. 
Until  this  time  we  had  only  a  suspicion  of  this,  but 
suspicion  has  now  resolved  itself  into  a  certainty. 
You  have  performed  your  duty  well,  and  before  many 
days  there  will  be  an  account  demanded  of  some  of 
these  people  which  they  are  far  from  expecting." 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  of  any  service,"  replied  Web- 
ster ;  "  and  I  have  done  nothing  more  than  my 
duty.  If  you  have  any  further  commands  for  me, 
Mr.  President,  I  am  ready  to  obey  them." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  President;  "take  these 
telegrams,  and  when  you  have  reached  a  point 
where  communication  is  possible,  send  them  to 
General  McClellan,  at  Columbus,  Ohio;  they  are 
important  and  must  be  sent  without  delay.  Also 
telegraph  to  Mr.  Pinkerton  to  come  to  Washing- 
ton at  once ;  his  services  are,  I  think,  greatly  needed 
by  the  government  at  this  time." 

Rolling  up  the  papers  which  he  received,  Web- 
ster placed  them  in  the  center  of  a  hollow  cane, 
which  he  carried ;  then,  replacing  ,the  handle,  and 
promising  to  attend  faithfully  to  the  duties  as- 
signed him,  he  left  the  executive  mansion. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Timothy  Webster  in  Washington. —  The  Return  to  Philadel- 
phia.— I  go  to  the  Capital. — An  Important  Letter. 

ATTER  leaving  the  White  House,  Timothy 
Webster  went  immediately  in  quest  of  a  con- 
veyance that  would  enable  him  to  reach  Baltimore 
without  unnecessary  delay.  He  expected  to  encoun- 
ter greater  difficulties  in  obtaining  what  he  desired 
here  in  Washington  than  he  had  met  with  in  Bal- 
timore, for  the  reason  that  in  the  capital  he  was  a 
comparative  stranger,  while  in  the  latter  city  he  had 
numerous  friends,  who  believed  him  to  be  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  Confederacy,  and  whose  assistance 
he  could  rely  upon  on  that  account.  His  only  hope, 
therefore,  lay  in  his  being  able  to  find  some  friendly 
Baltimorean,  upon  whose  influence  he  could  depend 
to  procure  him  a  mode  of  conveyance  for  his  re- 
turn. Having  arrived  late  on  the  preceding  even- 
ing and  being  terribly  fatigued  by  the  journey  he 
had  made,  Webster  had  retired  almost  immediately 
after  he  reached  his  hotel,  and  consequently  he 
was  surprised  at  the  busy  scenes  which  greeted 
him  now.  The  capital  was  swarming  with  soldiers 
and  civilians.  Regiments  continually  arriving  and 

[131] 


i32  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

were  being  assigned  to  quarters  and  positions  around 
the  city,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with  eager  and 
excited  multitudes.  The  position  which  Maryland 
had  assumed  was  vehemently  discussed  everywhere, 
and  the  riotous  conduct  of  the  Baltimoreans  was 
loudly  denounced  by  Northern  men,  and  secretly 
applauded  by  those  whose  sympathies  were  with 
the  cause  of  the  South.  The  prompt  action  of 
General  Butler,  with  his  regiment  of  Massachusetts 
soldiers,  who  followed  quickly  after  the  sixth,  in  go- 
ing by  boat  directly  to  Annapolis,  in  order  to  reach 
Washington  without  hindrance  or  delay,  and  his 
patriotic  and  determined  response  to  those  in  au- 
thority, who  sought  to  induce  him  to  change  his 
plans  for  reaching  the  capital,  were  everywhere 
warmly  commended.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that 
the  North  was  thoroughly  aroused,  and  were  dread- 
fully in  earnest  in  their  determination  to  suppress 
a  rebellion  which  they  believed  to  be  causeless,  un- 
lawful and  threatening  the  future  of  a  great  country. 
As  Webster  walked  along  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
carefully  scanning  the  faces  of  every  one  he  met  in 
the  hope  of  discovering  some  one  whom  he  knew  and 
who  might  be  of  service  to  him,  he  recognized  the 
driver  who  had  brought  him  from  Baltimore  on  the 
day  before,  and  who  started  in  astonishment  at  find- 
ing the  man  whom  he  had  last  seen  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  United  States  troops  now  walking  the  streets 
free  and  unattended.  This  man  was  accompanied  by 


IN     WASHINGTON.  133 

three  others,  with  two  of  whom  Webster  was  slightly 
acquainted,  and  he  at  once  advanced  toward  them 
and  greted  them  cordially. 

"  Why,  Webster,  is  that  you  ?"  inquired  the  fore- 
most of  the  party,  a  well-known  "  sympathizer  "  of  the 
name  of  John  Maull.  "  We  heard  you  had  been  taken 
prisoner — how  did  you  get  out  so  soon  ?" 

"  That  is  easily  accounted  for,"  said  Webster,  with 
a  laugh  ;  "  I  was  simply  arrested  on  suspicion/  and 
when  they  could  find  nothing  about  me  that  /was  at 
all  suspicious,  they  were  compelled  to  let  me  go." 

"This  country  is  coming  upon  strange  times," 
remarked  a  sallow-faced  Baltimorean  who  boasted 
of  having  been  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  riot- 
ers a  few  days  before,  "  when  a  man  can  be  arrested 
in  this  way  and  have  no  means  of  redress." 

"That  is  very  true,"  replied  Webster,  "but  we 
will  have  a  decided  change  before  long,  or  I  am  very 
much  mistaken.  'Uncle  Jeff'  means  business,  and 
there  will  be  long  faces  in  Washington  before  many 
days." 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  old  boy,"  exclaimed  Maull 
heartily,  "  you  are  of  the  right  stripe  ;  but  don't  talk  so 
loud  ;  let  us  go  around  the  corner  to  a  quiet  little 
place  where  we  can  talk  without  danger." 

The  party  repaired  to  a  drinking  saloon,  in  a  re- 
tired neighborhood,  and  on  entering  it  they  were 
greeted  warmly  by  several  parties  who  were  standing 
before  the  bar.  Webster  was  immediately  intro- 


134  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

duced  to  these  gentlemen,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
he  had  firmly  established  himself  in  their  good  opin- 
ions as  a  devoted  friend  of  the  South. 

The  conversation  soon  became  general,  and  the 
most  extravagant  ideas  were  expressed  with  regard  to 
the  wonderful  achievements  that  were  expected  of 
the  Southern  soldiers,  and  no  doubt  was  entertained 
that  the  Yankees,  as  they  called  the  Northern  men, 
would  be  quickly  vanquished  by  the  chivalrous  armies 
of  the  "  Sunny  South." 

To  all  of  .these  suggestions  Webster  yielded  a 
ready  assent,  and  not  one  among  the  number  was 
more  pronounced  in  his  belief  in  the  needs  of  the 
Southern  cause  than  was  my  trusty  operative,  who,  in 
the  cane  he  flourished  so  conspicuously,  carried  im- 
portant dispatches  from  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  a  General  in  command  of  Northern  sol- 
diers. 

All  the  time,  however,  he  was  growing  very 
restive  under  the  enforced  delay  in  his  journey,  and 
seeking  a  favorable  opportunity  during  a  lull  in  the 
conversation,  he  turned  to  the  driver  of  the  wagon 
and  inquired  of  him  when  he  was  going  to  return  to 
Baltimore. 

"  Not  for  a  day  or  two,  at  least,"  replied  the  man. 

"  That  is  very  bad,"  said  Webster.  "  I  must  get 
there  this  evening ;  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
I  should  do  so." 

At  this  one  of  the  party  approached  Webster  and 


JN     WASHINGTON.  135 

informed  him  that  he  was  going  back  that  day  and 
had  engaged  a  conveyance  for  that  purpose,  and  as 
there  was  room  enough  for  two,  he  would  be  most 
happy  to  have  his  company.  Webster  at  once 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  having  thus  relieved  his 
anxiety  upon  the  point  of  reaching  Baltimore,  he 
joined  heartily  in  the  conversation  that  was  going 
on  around  him.  No  one,  to  have  heard  him,  would 
doubt  for  a  moment  his  loyalty  to  the  South,  jbr  his 
firm  belief  in  the  eventual  triumph  of  her  armies. 


After  remaining  in  the  saloon  for  some  time, 
Webster  noticed  that  the  men  were  becoming  intoxi- 
cated, and  fearing  that  they  would  become  noisy  and 
probably  get  into  trouble,  he  suggested  to  the  gentle- 
man with  whom  he  was  to  drive  to  Baltimore  the 
propriety  of  leaving  the  rest  to  their  enjoyment  while 
they  arranged  matters  for  their  departure.  His 
advice  was  at  once  accepted,  and  the  two  men  bade 
their  associates  farewell  and  repaired  to  the  hotel, 
where  they  had  their  dinner,  and  about  two  o'clock 
they  were  upon  their  journey.  Webster's  fears  were 
proven  to  be  well-founded,  for  as  they  were  passing 
the  locality  where  they  had  spent  the  morning,  they 
saw  their  former  companions  between  a  file  of 
soldiers,  and  there  was  little  doubt  that  they  had 
allowed  their  libations  to  overcome  their  judgments, 
and  that  they  would  be  allowed  to  recover  their 
reason  in  a  guard-house. 

The  journey  was  made  without  event,  the  carriage 


136  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

and  driver  being  apparently  very  well  known  along  the 
route,  and  Webster  arrived  in  Baltimore  late  that 
evening.  He  was  desirous  of  pushing  on  without 
delay,  as  it  was  important  that  the  dispatches  which 
he  carried  should  be  forwarded  at  once,  and  he  there- 
fore went  immediately  to  the  hotel  he  had  occupied 
when  he  first  arrived  in  the  city.  Requesting  the 
landlord  to  use  his  best  efforts  to  procure  him  a  con- 
veyance to  Havre  de  Grace,  he  sat  down  to  his 
supper,  and  did  ample  justice  to  a  plenteous  repast. 
When  he  had  finished  the  landlord  entered  the  room 
and  informed  him  that  he  had  succeeded  in  providing 
a  team  for  his  service,  but  that  grave  doubts  were 
entertained  whether  he  would  succeed  in  reaching  his 
destination.  Expressing  his  willingness  to  assume 
any  responsibility  of  that  kind,  Webster  bade  his 
entertainer  good-bye,  and  entering  the  wagon,  he 
started  upon  his  midnight  journey  to  Havre  de 
Grace. 

Again  fortune  favored  him,  and  although  repeat- 
edly halted,  he  was  able  to  give  such  a  straightfor- 
ward account  of  himself  that  they  were  allowed  to 
proceed,  and  he  arrived  in  Havre  de  Grace  in  time 
for  breakfast.  Crossing  the  river,  he  went  directly  to 
the  headquarters  of  Colonel  Dare,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  Union  trodps  at  Perrysville,  and  requested 
that  officer  to  forward  the  telegram  to  General 
McClellan  at  once.  This  the  Colonel  promised  to  do, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  important  message  was  fly- 


IN     WASHINGTON.  137 

ing  over  the  wires  to  its  destination  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  and  the  President's  request  for  my  appearance 
at  Washington  followed  soon  after,  and  was  received 
by  me  in  due  time. 

Recognizing  the  importance  of  the  call,  I  lost  no 
time  in  answering  the  dispatch  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and 
started  at  once  on  my  journey  to  Washington, 
accompanied  only  by  a  trusty  member  of  my  force. 
Before  leaving  I  left  orders  that  should  I  fail  to  meet 
with  Webster  upon  the  way  he  should  be  directed 
to  await  my  return  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg. 

On  my  arrival  at  Perrysville  I  found  that  a  mode 
of  communication  had  been  hurriedly  established  with 
Washington,  by  means  of  a  boat  which  sailed  down 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  landed  their  passengers  at 
Annapolis,  from  which  point  the  railroad  travel  to 
Washington  was  uninterrupted. 

Arriving  at  the  capital  I  found  a  condition  of 
affairs  at  once  peculiar  and  embarrassing,  and  the 
city  contained  a  strange  admixture  of  humanity,  both 
patriotic  and  dangerous.  Here  were  gathered  the 
rulers  of  the  nation  and  those  who  were  seeking  its 
destruction.  The  streets  were  filled  with  soldiers, 
armed  and  eager  for  the  fray ;  officers  and  orderlies 
were  seen  galloping  from  place  to  place  ;  the  tramp  of 
armed  men  was  heard  on  every  side,  and  strains  of 
martial  music  filled  the  air.  Here,  too,  lurked  the  secret 
enemy,  who  was  conveying  beyond  the  lines  the  cov- 
eted information  of  every  movement  made  or  contem- 


138  TIMOTHY     WEBSTER 

plated.  Men  who  formerly  occupied  places  of  dignity, 
power  and  trust  were  now  regarded  as  objects  of  sus- 
picion, whose  loyalty  was  impeached  and  whose 
actions  it  was  necessary  to  watch.  Aristocratic  ladies, 
who  had  previously  opened  the  doors  of  their  luxuri- 
ous residences  to  those  high  in  office  and  who  had 
hospitably  entertained  the  dignitaries  of  the  land, 
were  now  believed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  attempt 
to  overthrow  the  country,  and  engaged  in  clandestine 
correspondence  with  Southern  leaders.  The  criminal 
classes  poured  in  from  all  quarters,  and  almost  every 
avenue  of  society  was  penetrated  by  these  lawless 
and  unscrupulous  hordes.  An  adequate  idea  can  be 
formed  of  the  transformation  which  had  been  effected 
within  a  few  short  weeks  in  this  city  of  national  gov- 
ernment. 

On  the  day  following  my  arrival  I  wended  my 
way  to  the  White  House  and  sought  an  interview 
with  the  President.  Around  the  executive  mansion 
everything  was  in  a  state  of  activity  and  bustle. 
Messengers  were  running  frantically  hither  and 
thither ;  officers  in  uniform  were  gathered  in  clusters, 
engaged  in  animated  discussions  of  contemplated 
military  operations  ;  department  clerks  were  bustling 
about,  and  added  to  these  was  a  crowd  of  visitors, 
all  anxious,  like  myself,  to  obtain  an  interview  with 
the  Chief  Executive. 

I  was  not  required  to  wait  an  unusual  length  of 
time,  and  I  was  soon  ushered  into  the  presence  of 


IN     WASHINGTON.  139 

Mr.  Lincoln,  who  greeted  me  cordially  and  intro- 
duced me  to  the  several  members  of  the  Cabinet  who 
were  engaged  with  him.  I  was  at  once  informed  that 
the  object  in  sending  for  me  was  that  the  authorities 
had  for  some  time  entertained  the  idea  of  organizing 
a  secret-service  department  of  the  government,  with 
the  view  of  ascertaining  the  social,  political  and  pa- 
triotic status  of  the  numerous  suspected  persons  in 
and  around  the  city.  As  yet,  no  definite  plans  had 
been  adopted,  and  I  was  requested  to  detail  my 
views  upon  the  subject,  in  order  that  the  matter 
might  be  intelligently  considered,  and  such  action 
taken  as  would  lead  to  definite  and  satisfactory  re- 
sults. I  accordingly  stated  to  them  the  ideas  which 
I  entertained  upon  the  subject,  as  fully  and  concisely 
as  I  was  able  to  do  at  the  time,  and,  after  I  had 
concluded,  I  took  my  departure,  with  the  understand- 
ing that  I  would  receive  further  communications  from 
them  in  a  few  days. 

It  was  very  evident  to  me,  however,  that  in  the 
confusion  and  excitement  which  were  necessarily  inci- 
dent to  the  novel  and  perplexing  condition  of  affairs 
then  existing,  that  anything  approaching  to  a  sys- 
tematized organization  or  operation  would  be  for  a 
time  impossible.  The  necessity  for  war  had  come  so 
suddenly  upon  a  peaceful  community  that  there  had 
been  as  yet  but  little  time  for  thorough  prepara- 
tion or  system.  The  raising  of  a  large  army,  with 
all  the  various  contingencies  of  uniforming,  arming 


1 40  TIMO  TH  Y     WE3STER 

and  drilling ;  the  furnishing  of  supplies,  and  the  as- 
signing of  quarters,  were  occupying  the  attention  of 
the  rulers  of  the  government,  and  I  felt  confident  that 
I  would  be  required  to  wait  a  longer  time  than  I  could 
then  conveniently  spare  from  my  business,  ere  I  would 
be  favored  with  any  definite  instructions  from  those 
in  authority.  This  opinion  was  fully  confirmed,  after 
several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  obtain  satisfying  par- 
ticulars from  the  heads  of  several  of  the  departments, 
and  leaving  my  address  with  the  secretary  of  the 
President,  I  returned  to  Philadelphia. 

I  had  directed,  prior  to  leaving  Chicago,  that  all 
important  communications  addressed  to  me  should  be 
forwarded  to  that  city,  and  on  my  arrival  there  I 
found  a  number  of  letters  which  required  immediate 
attention. 

Among  the  number  was  the  following,  which  had 
been  somewhat  delayed  in  its  transmission. 

"  COLUMBUS,  OHIO, 

April  24,  1 86 1. 

"ALLAN  PlNKERTON,  Esq., 

"  Dear  Sir  :— 

"  I  wish  to  see  you  with  the  least  possible  delay,  to 
make  arrangements  with  you  of  an  important  nature. 
I  will  be  either  here  or  in  Cincinnati  for  the  next  few 
days — here  to-morrow — Cincinnati  next  day.  In  this 
city  you  will  find  me  at  the  Capitol,  at  Cincinnati  at 
my  residence. 

"  If  you  telegraph  me,  better  use  your  first  name 


IN     WASHINGTON.  141 

alone.     Let  no  one  know  that  you  come  to  see  me, 
and  keep  as  quiet  as  possible. 

"Very  truly  yours, 

"  CEO.    B.    McCLELLAN, 

"  Maj.  Gen'l  Comd'g  Ohio  Vols, 

This  letter  at  once  decided  me.  Anxious  as  I 
was  to  serve  the  country  in  this,  the  hour  of  her  need, 
I  sought  the  first  opportunity  for  active  duty  that 
presented  itself,  and  I  left  Philadelphia  at  once,  in 
order  to  comply  with  the  instructions  contained  in 
this  message  of  Gen.  McClellan. 


if 

STORMING    A    FORT. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

An  Adventure  in  Pittsburg. — A  Mob  at  Bay. — An  Explana- 
tion.— Good-feeling  Restored. 

SEVERAL  influences  operated  in  my  mind  to  in- 
duce me  to  respond  at  once  to  this  letter,  and 
some  of  them  of  a  directly  personal  nature.  I  had 
been  acquainted  with  General  McClellan  for  a  long 
time  before  this,  and  had  been  intimately  associated 
with  him  while  engaged  upon  various  important  op- 
erations connected  with  the  Illinois  Central  and  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroads,  of  the  latter  of  which 
he  was  then  president.  From  the  friendship  and 
esteem  I  entertained  for  him  growing  out  of  my  rela- 
tions with  him  in  those  matters,  both  as  an  individual 
and  as  an  executive  officer,  I  felt  the  more  anxious  to 
enter  into  his  service,  now  that  he  had  assumed  the 
command  of  a  military  department,  and  was  about  to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  impending  struggle. 

At  Philadelphia  I  ascertained  that  Timothy  Web- 
ster had  already  departed  for  Pittsburg,  according 
to  previous  instructions,  and  hastily  telegraphing  to 
the  General  that  I  would  instantly  respond  to  his 
letter  in  person,  I  took  the  first  train  leading  west- 
ward and  was  soon  upon  my  way. 
[142] 


AN    ADVENTURE.  143 

Timothy  Webster,  meanwhile,  had  proceeded  on 
his  journey  from  Perrysville,  and  arrived  without 
accident  or  adventure  in  Philadelphia.  He  immedi- 
ately repaired  to  the  office  of  Mr.  Dunn,  who  informed 
him  that  he  had  just  received  a  dispatch  for  him  from 
Chicago.  Webster  hastily  opened  the  message  and 
found  my  directions  for  him  to  await  my  return  at  the 
city  of  Pittsburg.  Remaining  in  the  Quaker  City 
until  the  following  day,  he  took  the  western  train  and 
in  due  time  arrived  at  his  destination.  On  inquiring 
at  the  telegraph  office  in  Pittsburg  he  received  another 
message  to  the  same  effect  as  the  first  one,  and  he 
therefore  engaged  quarters  at  a  hotel,  patiently  await- 
ing my  coming.  On  the  second  day  after  his  arrival 
in  the  Smoky  City,  which  was  Sunday,  he  again  went 
to  the  telegraph  office,  where  he  received  information 
that  I  would  probably  arrive  there  in  the  course  of 
that  day. 

Returning  to  the  hotel,  Webster  entered  the  bar- 
room, and  while  he  was  being  attended  to  two  men 
came  in,  apparently  engaged  in  excited  conversation. 
They  advanced  to  the  bar  and  requested  drinks. 
The  excitement  in  the  city,  attendant  upon  the  news 
from  Baltimore,  had  not  abated  in  the  least  since 
Webster  had  passed  through  several  days  before,  and 
these  two  men  were  discussing  the  action  of  the 
government  in  regard  to  this  matter.  One  of  them, 
an  excitable,  empty-headed  fellow,  was  cursing  the 
President  and  General  Scott,  in  very  loud  tones  and 


144  AN    ADVENTURE 

in  unmeasured  terms,  for  not  burning  the  city  of  Balti- 
more to  ashes,  and  thus  teaching  the  rebels  a  lesson 
they  would  be  apt  to  remember.  The  remonstrances 
of  his  friend  seemed  only  to  excite  him  still  more, 
and  Webster,  feeling  desirous  of  avoiding  any  con- 
troversy at  that  time,  started  to  leave  the  saloon, 
when  the  angry  disputant  turned  to  him,  and  arro- 
gantly demanded  his  opinion  of  the  matter. 

"I  think,"  said  Webster,  "that  the  President  and 
General  Scott  understand  their  duties  much  better 
than  I  can  inform  them,  and  I  suppose  they  do  not 
wish  to  destroy  the  property  of  many  who  are  true  to 
the  government." 

"  That  is  all  nonsense,"  replied  the  other,  sharply, 
"there  is  not  a  single  Union  man  in  the  whole  city." 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken,"  said  Webster,  coolly. 
"  I  am  sure  there  are  thousands  of  them  there." 

This  answer  seemed  to  infuriate  the  man,  and 
striding  up  to  Webster,  he  asked,  with  an  air  of  im- 
pertinence : 

"Are  you  a  Southern  man  ?" 

"No,  sir,  I  was  born  in  New  York,"  was  the  reply. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?"  impudently  demanded  the 
fellow. 

"  You  will  find  my  name  upon  the  register  of  the 
hotel,  if  you  desire  it,  and  as  I  do  not  wish  to  have  any 
further  controversy  with  you,  I  bid  you  good  morning," 
replied  Webster,  still  remaining  cool  and  unruffled. 

By  this  time  a  crowd  of  about  twenty  men  had 


IN    PITTSBURG.  145 

gathered  about  them,  and  as  Webster  turned  to 
leave  the  room,  one  of  them  demanded  to  know  the 
contents  of  the  telegram  he  had  just  received. 

This  demand,  added  to  the  previous  suggestion 
that  Webster  was  a  Southern  man,  was  sufficient  to 
excite  the  entire  crowd,  who  had  been  living  upon 
excitement  for  more  than  a  week,  and  they  began  to 
press  around  him  in  a  threatening  manner,  one  of 
them  calling  out :  ) 

"I  believe  he  is  a  d — d  spy;  let  us  see  what  he 
has  got !" 

Webster  broke  loose  from  those  nearest  to  him, 
and  retreating  backwards  toward  the  door,  ex- 
claimed, in  a  determined  voice : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  no  spy,  and  if  any  of  you 
attempt  to  trouble  me  further,  some  of  you  will 
assuredly  get  hurt !" 

At  this  the  crowd  grew  boisterous  and  violent, 
and  several  called  out,  "  Hang  him !"  "  Hang  the 
spy !"  while  some  of  them  made  a  rush  toward 
where  he  stood. 

Drawing  his  revolver,  Webster  faced  his  angry 
assailants,  who  drew  back  involuntarily  when  they 
saw  that  he  was  both  well  armed  and  undismayed. 

"  Gentlemen,  we  have  had  enough  of  this  non- 
sense. You  can  talk  about  hanging  me,  and  perhaps 
there  are  enough  of  you  to  do  it,  but,  by  God,  the 
first  one  that  attempts  to  put  his  hands  upon  me  is  a 
dead  man  !" 

10 


i46  AN    ADVENTURE 

Matters  began  to  look  serious.  It  seemed  evi- 
dent that  these  excited  people  were  determined  to 
resort  to  violence,  and  that  there  would  be  blood- 
shed in  consequence.  Webster,  whose  relations 
with  the  government  were  of  so  intensely  loyal  a 
character,  was  filled  with  regret  at  having  allowed 
himself  to  become  a  party  to  a  conversation  which 
would  lead  to  such  serious  consequences.  He  was 
resolved,  however,  to  maintain  his  position.  To 
show  signs  of  weakness,  therefore,  would  be  danger- 
ous, if  not  fatal,  to  him,  and  he  stood  bravely  in  front 
of  the  angry  mob,  who  had  drawn  back  at  the  sight 
of  the  revolver  which  was  leveled  so  menacingly  at 
them. 

Only  for  a  moment,  however,  did  the  crowd  stand 
awed  and  irresolute — one  moment  of  silence,  in 
which  every  man  appeared  to  be  deciding  for  him- 
self his  course  of  action.  Then  one  tall,  stalwart 
man  stepped  from  their  midst,  and  waving  his  hand 
toward  his  companions,  he  cried  out  : 

"  Come  on,  he  is  only  one  against  twenty,  and  we 
will  take  him  dead,  or  alive  !" 

The  crowd  took  a  few  steps  in  advance,  and  Web- 
ster had  braced  himself  to  receive  their  attack,  when 
suddenly,  close  beside  him  stood  a  form,  and  a  loud 
voice  called  out : 

"  Stop,  gentlemen,  where  you  are  !  This  man  is  no 
traitor,  and  I  will  defend  him  with  my  life  !"  and  the 
muzzles  of  two  revolvers  ranged  themselves  beside 


IN    P1TTSBURG.  147 

that  presented  by  the  suspected,  but  undismayed 
detective. 

Involuntarily  the  crowd  stood  still  at  this  unex- 
pected arrival  of  reinforcements,  and  Webster,  who 
had  recognized  the  voice,  looked  up  in  surprise 
and  relief  at  this  unlooked-for,  though  timely,  assist- 
ance. 

I  had  arrived  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  and  I  was 
resolved  to  defend  my  undaunted  operative  to  the 
last. 

At  this  moment  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  en- 
tered the  saloon,  and  in  a  calm  voice  and  quiet  man- 
ner attempted  to  subdue  the  angry  feelings  of  the  by- 
standers. 

"  Gentlemen, "  said  he,  "  there  need  be  no 
trouble  about  this  matter;  Mr.  Webster  can  fully 
explain  his  position,  and  I  think  the  best  plan  would 
be  for  you  all  to  repair  to  the  office  of  the  mayor, 
where  any  explanation  can  be  given." 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  do  that,"  said  I  ;  "I 
know  this  man,  and  will  answer  for  him  under  any 
circumstances ;  we  will  accompany  you  to  the  office  of 
the  mayor  at  once,  and  I  think  I  can  convince  him 
that  he  is  no  spy." 

This  proposition  was  eagerly  accepted  by  some, 
and  reluctantly  by  others,  and  finally  the  entire  party 
marched  out  of  the  hotel  on  their  way  to  the  office 
of  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  city ;  Webster  and  my- 
self walking  together. 


148  AN    ADVENTURE 

The  crowd  increased  as  we  went  on,  and  frequent 
calls  were  still  made  to  "  hang  the  traitor,"  but  no 
further  attempts  were  made  to  molest  us,  and  we 
reached  the  office  without  any  event  of  a  troublesome 
nature  occurring. 

The  noise  of  the  crowd  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  chief  of  police,  who,  during  the  temporary  absence 
of  the  mayor,  was  in  charge  of  affairs  of  this  nature, 
and  he  came  to  the  door  to  ascertain  the  occasion  of 
the  tumult. 

As  the  crowd,  with  Webster  and  myself  in  the  van, 
reached  the  steps  which  led  up  to  the  municipal 
office,  I  at  once  recognized  the  chief  of  police,  having 
been  connected  with  him  some  time  before  in  the 
detection  of  some  burglars  from  the  city  of  Pittsburg, 
and  that  officer  was  not  slow  to  identify  me  as  the 
detective,  who  had  frequently  enabled  him  to  secure 
the  desperate  criminals  whom  the  law  had  at  various 
times  pursued. 

As  we  reached  the  platform  where  the  officer  was 
standing,  I  stretched  forth  my  hand,  which  the  chief 
cordially  grasped. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?" 
inquired  the  chief,  with  some  surprise. 

"  I  have  come  to  defend  one  of  my  men,  whom 
these  people  insist  upon  hanging  as  a  rebel  spy,  but 
who  is  loyal  to  the  core,"  I  answered,  laughingly. 

"  I  will  take  care  of  that,"  replied  the  chief,  "  and 
your  word  is  sufficient  for  me,"  at  the  same  time  ex- 


IN    P1TTSBURG.  149 

tending  his  disengaged  hand  and  warmly  greeting 
Webster,  who  stood  beside  me. 

As  the  crowd  noticed  the  evident  acquaintance 
and  good-feeling  that  existed  between  the  reputed 
spy  and  their  chief  of  police,  they  drew  back  instinct- 
ively, while  some  of  them  looked  as  if  they  were  not 
insensible  to  a  feeling  of  shame.  The  chief  realized 
the  state  of  affairs  at  once,  and  turning  to  the  now 
crestfallen  and  subdued  gathering,  he  addressed 
them  : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  will  be  responsible  for  the  loyalty 
and  integrity  of  these  gentlemen,  and  you  will 
instantly  disperse." 

The  leaders  of  this  assault  on  Webster  looked 
terribly  ashamed  of  themselves  when  they  found  how 
ridiculously  they  had  been  acting,  and  as  the  door  of 
the  chief's  office  closed  on  our  retreating  figures,  they 
slowly  and  silently  retired. 

In  an  hour  afterwards,  when  Webster  and  I 
returned  to  the  hotel,  we  found  the  gentlemen  who  a 
short  time  before  were  anxious  to  hang  him,  awaiting 
our  arrival,  and  we  received  from  them  their  heartfelt 
apologies  for  their  hasty  and  inconsiderate  conduct, 
all  of  which  were  received  with  a  spirit  of  good  nature 
that  won  the  regards  of  all  present,  and  when  the  time 
of  our  departure  arrived,  they  accompanied  us  to  the 
depot  in  a  body,  and  cheered  us  lustily  as  the  train 
slowly  moved  away. 

Thus  an  adventure,  which  promised  to  be  very 


150  AN    ADVENTURE. 

serious  in  its  results,  terminated  in  a  manner  satisfac- 
tory to  all,  and  Webster  and  myself,  instead  of  being 
lynched  by  a  Pittsburg  mob,  departed  in  safety  on 
our  journey,  and  arrived  in  Cincinnati  upon  the 
following  day,  prepared  to  receive  from  General 
McClellan  such  instructions  as  were  deemed  necessary 
by  him  for  the  furtherance  of  the  cause  in  which  he 
was  engaged. 


BETRAYED    BY    HIS    BOOTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

General  McClellan   in   Command  of  Ohio. — /  am  Engaged 
for  the  War. —  The  Secret  Service. — A  'Consultation. — 
Webster  starts  for  Rebeldom. 

AT  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  many  difficulties 
/~\  were  encountered  which  the  people  and  their 
leaders  were  ill-prepared  to  surmount,  and  many 
expedients  were  resorted  to  in  order  to  equip  and 
officer  the  troops  as  they  arrived.  The  State  of 
Ohio,  the  militia  of  which  General  McClellan  had 
been  called  upon  to  command  by  Governor  Dennison, 
was  no  exception  to  this  rule  ;  but  that  gentleman 
realized  the  importance  of  calling  some  one  to  the 
command  of  the  volunteers,  upon  whose  knowledge, 
judgment  and  experience  he  could  place  implicit 
reliance.  He  therefore  turned  to  Captain  McClellan, 
who  was  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  had  been  a 
captain  in  the  regular  army,  but  who  had  for  some 
years  past  been  devoting  himself  to  the  management 
of  a  prominent  railroad  enterprise  in  the  State. 

The  Governor  at  once  sent  a  communication  to 
the  general  government,  requesting  that  McClellan 
should  be  restored  to  his  old  rank  in  the  army,  and 


1 5  2  WEBSTER    STARTS 

that  the  duty  of  organizing  the  Ohio  volunteers 
should  be  assigned  to  him.  To  this  request  no 
answer  was  received,  and  it  was  afterwards  learned 
that  the  Governor's  letter,  owing  to  the  interruption 
of  communications  with  Washington  from  all  points, 
had  not  reached  its  destination.  Failing,  therefore, 
to  receive  any  reply  from  the  general  government, 
and  being  thus  forced  to  rely  upon  his  own  resources, 
Governor  Dennison  at  once  summoned  McClellan 
to  Columbus,  where  the  latter  applied  himself  ear- 
nestly to  the  work  of  organizing  the  numerous  volun- 
teer regiments  which  offered  their  services  to  the 
country.  The  State  laws  were  changed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  allow  the  Governor  to  select  command- 
ing officers  for  these  volunteers  outside  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  State  militia,  and  very  soon  afterward  the 
Ohio  troops  were  commanded  by  thoroughly  compe- 
tent men,  who  had  made  military  movements  the  sub- 
ject of  scientific  study. 

On  the  third  day  of  May  a  "  Department  of  the 
Ohio"  was  formed,  consisting  of  the  combined  forces 
of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  this  department, 
by  order  of  General  Scott,  was  placed  under  the 
command  of  General  McClellan. 

The  Ohio  troops,  as  they  arrived,  were  mainly 
located  at  Camp  Dennison,  which  was  situated  in  a 
valley  about  sixteen  miles  northwesterly  from  the  city 
of  Cincinnati.  This  was  the  largest  and  the  chief  camp 
in  the  State,  and  here  the  volunteers  received  that 


FOR    REBELDOM.  153 

thorough  instruction  and  training  so  essential  in  pre- 
paring for  the  rigors  of  war. 

As  I  have  stated,  my  personal  acquaintance  with 
George  B.  McClellan  had,  from  its  earliest  incipiency, 
been  of  the  most  agreeable  and  amicable  nature,  and 
when  I  called  at  his  house  in  Ludlow  street,  as  I  did 
immediately  upon  my  arrival  in  Cincinnati,  I  was  re- 
ceived with  genuine  cordiality.  After  we  were 
closeted  together  I  explained  fully  to  him  the  charac- 
ter of  the  business  that  had  called  me  to  Washington, 
and  how  the  complication  of  affairs  at  the  seat  of 
government  necessitated  so  much  delay  that  I  had 
found  it  imperative  upon  me  to  leave  without  arriv- 
ing at  any  definite  understanding  with  the  President. 

The  General  had  already  been  advised  of  his  ele- 
vation in  rank,  and  among  other  things  desired  to 
consult  with  me  in  relation  to  his  affairs  at  the  War 
Department. 

I  need  not  stop  to  give  the  details  of  that  inter- 
view. His  object  in  sending  for  me  was  to  secure 
my  aid  and  co-operation  in  the  organization  of  a 
secret  service  for  his  department,  and  finding  me 
more  than  willing  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  help  along 
the  cause  of  the  Union,  he  immediately  laid  before 
me  all  his  plans. 

Our  business  was  settled.  It  arranged  that  I 
should  assume  full  management  and  control  of  this 
new  branch  of  the  service,  and  that  I  should  at  once 
enter  upon  the  discharge  of  the  multifarious  duties 


154  WEBSTER     STARTS 

attending  so  responsible  a  position.  The  General 
then  informed  me  that  he  would  write  to  General 
Scott  for  permission  to  organize  this  department 
under  his  own  personal  supervision  ;  and  he  also 
agreed  to  submit  the  project  to  Governor  Dennison, 
of  Ohio,  with  a  request  to  that  gentleman  to  solicit 
the  co-operation  of  the  Governors  of  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  in  sustaining  the  organi- 
zation. 

To  this  arrangement  I  gave  a  ready  assent,  and 
we  then  entered  upon  the  discussion  of  affairs  requir- 
ing immediate  attention.  Several  measures,  more  or 
less  important,  had  suggested  themselves  to  my  mind 
while  the  General  was  talking,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
conversation  which  followed,  I  presented  them  for 
his  consideration.  It  was  a  relief  to  me  to  find  that  at 
the  outset  there  was  no  clash  of  opinion  between  us, 
and  I  felt  confident  that  there  was  not  likely  to  be 
any  in  the  future. 

For  several  days  my  time  was  principally  taken  up 
in  private  consultations  with  General  McClellan,  in 
laying  out  a  line  of  operations,  by  which  I  was  to  as- 
sist in  making  arrangements  for  bringing  my  own 
force  into  active  duty  at  the  earliest  possible  hour.  I 
rented  a  suite  of  rooms  and  fitted  up  an  office  in  Cin- 
cinnati, where  I  called  about  me  some  of  the  most 
capable  and  trustworthy  detectives  in  my  employ,  and 
impressed  upon  them  the  great  importance  of  the 
tasks  that  were  about  to  be  imposed  upon  them. 


FOR    REBELDOM.  155 

The  general  informed  me  that  he  would  like  ob- 
servations made  within  the  rebel  lines,  and  I  resolved 
to  at  once  send  some  scouts  into  the  disaffected 
region  lying  south  of  us,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
information  concerning  the  numbers,  equipments, 
movements  and  intentions  of  the  enemy,  as  well  as  to 
ascertain  the  general  feeling  of  the  Southern  people 
in  regard  to  the  war.  I  fully  realized  the  delicacy  of 
this  business,  and  the  necessity  of  conducting  it  with 
the  greatest  care,  caution  and  secrecy.  None  but 
good,  true,  reliable  men  could  be  detailed  for  such 
service,  and  knowing  this,  I  made  my  selections  ac- 
cordingly ;  my  thoughts  reverting  first  of  all  to  Timo- 
thy Webster. 

Within  six  hours  after  the  commander  had  ex- 
pressed his  wishes  to  me,  Timothy  Webster  was  on 
his  way  to  Louisville,  with  instructions  to  proceed 
southward  from  that  city  to  Memphis,  stopping  at 
Bowling  Green  and  Clarkesville  on  the  way. 

In  Webster's  case  it  was  not  necessary  to  devote 
much  time  to  instructions,  except  as  to  his  line  of 
travel,  for  he  was  a  man  who  understood  the  whole 
meaning  of  a  mission  like  this,  and  one  who  would 
perform  his  duty  with  that  faithfulness  and  ability  by 
which  he  had  fairly  earned  the  confidence  I  now 
reposed  in  him. 

Within  a  few  days  I  also  sent  out  other  scouts, 
singly  and  in  pairs,  on  the  different  routes  that  had 
been  carefully  prepared  for  them,  and  in  a  short  time 


156  WEBSTER     STARTS 

quite  a  number  of  my  best  operatives  were  engaged 
upon  more  or  less  difficult  and  dangerous  tasks,  all 
tending  to  the  same  end. 

In  organizing  and  controlling  this  secret  service,  I 
endeavored  to  conceal  my  own  individual  identity  so 
far  as  my  friends  and  the  public  were  concerned. 
The  new  field  of  usefulness  into  which  I  had  ven- 
tured was  designed  to  be  a  secret  one  in  every  re- 
spect, and  for  obvious  reasons  I  was  induced  to  lay 
aside  the  name  of  Allan  Pinkerton — a  name  so  well 
known  that  it  had  grown  to  be  a  sort  of  synonym  for 
detective.  I  accordingly  adopted  the  less  suggestive 
one  of  E.  J.  Allen  ;  a  nom  de  guerre  which  I  retained 
during  the  entire  period  of  my  connection  with  the 
war.  This  precautionary  measure  was  first  proposed 
by  the  General  himself,  and  in  assenting  to  it  I  carried 
out  his  views  as  well  as  my  own.  This  ruse  to  con- 
ceal my  identity  was  a  successful  one.  My  true  name 
was  known  only  to  General  McClellan,  and  those  of 
my  force  who  were  in  my  employ  before  the  breaking 
out  of  the  rebellion,  and  by  them  it  was  sacredly 
kept.  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  McClellan  has  ever 
divulged  it  to  this  day,  if  I  may  judge  by  the  fre- 
quent occurrence  of  such  incidents  as  the  following  : 

A  short  time  since,  while  on  a  visit  to  my  New 
York  agency,  I  chanced  to  meet  one  of  my  old  army 
friends,  General  Fitz-John  Porter.  He  recognized 
me,  gave  me  a  hearty  greeting,  and  proceeded  to  ad- 
dress me  as  Major  Allen,  after  the  custom  of  by-gone 


FOR    REBELDOM.  157 

days.  I  permitted  the  conversation  to  go  on  for 
some  time,  and  then  said  : 

"  Are  you  not  aware,  General,  that  the  name  of  E. 
J.  Allen,  which  I  used  during  the  war,  was  a  fictitious 
one  ?" 

He  looked  at  me,  as  if  to  satisfy  himself  that  I 
was  not  jesting,  and  then  exclaimed : 

"  Fictitious  !     You  are  not  in  earnest,  Major  ?" 

I  assured  him  that  I  was  never  more  so. 

"Why,  I  never  suspected  such  a  thing.  What, 
then,  is  your  true  name  ?" 

"Allan  Pinkerton,"  I  replied. 

"  Allan  Pinkerton  !"  he  ejaculated. 

His  astonishment  knew  no  bounds,  and  he  de- 
clared it  was  the  first  intimation  he  had  ever  had 
that  Allan  Pinkerton  and  Major  Allen  were  one  and 
the  same  person. 

It  was  on  the  thirteenth  of  May  that  Timothy 
Webster  left  Cincinnati  on  his  trip  southward.  He 
arrived  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  late  in  the  night,  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  following  day,  when  he  pur- 
sued his  course  into  the  heart  of  that  self-satisfied 
State  which  only  desired  to  be  "  let  alone." 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  give  in  detail  all  the  events 
of  Webster's  journey,  as  there  was  much  that  would 
only  prove  tedious  at  this  late  day,  though  at  that 
time  regarded  as  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the 
country.  Shrewd,  wide-awake,  and  keen  as  a  blood- 
hound on  the  scent,  he  allowed  nothing  to  escape 


158  WEBSTER    STARTS 

him,  but  quietly  jotted  down  every  item  of  intelli- 
gence that  could  possibly  be  of  advantage  to  the 
Union  army,  and  picked  up  many  important  points, 
which  would  have  escaped  the  notice  of  a  man  of  less 
detective  experience  and  ability. 

He  stopped  a  day  or  two  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky., 
and  then  proceeded  on  to  Clarkesville,  Tenn.  He 
made  friends  of  all  he  met,  and  cleverly  ingratiated 
himself  into  the  good  graces  of  those  whom  he  be- 
lieved might  be  of  service  to  him.  He  was  a  "  Hail, 
fellow  !  well  met,"  "  A  prince  of  good  fellows,"  a 
genial,  jovial,  convivial  spirit,  with  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  anecdote  and  amusing  reminiscences,  and  a 
wonderful  faculty  for  making  everybody  like  him. 
He  partook  of  soldiers'  fare  in  the  rebel  camp,  shook 
hands  warmly  with  raw  recruits,  joked  and  laughed 
with  petty  officers,  became  familiar  with  colonels  and 
captains,  and  talked  profoundly  with  brigadier-gen- 
erals. He  was  apparently  an  enthusiastic  and  deter- 
mined rebel,  and  in  a  few  cunningly-worded  sentences 
he  would  rouse  the  stagnant  blood  of  his  hearers  till 
it  fairly  boiled  with  virtuous  indignation  against  Yan- 
kees in  general,  and  "  Abe  Linkin  "  in  particular. 

Webster's  talent  in  sustaining  a  role  of  this  kind 
amounted  to  positive  genius,  and  it  was  this  that 
forced  me  to  admire  the  man  as  sincerely  as  I  prized 
his  services.  Naturally,  he  was  of  a  quiet,  reserved 
disposition,  seldom  speaking  unless  spoken  to,  and 
never  betraying  emotion  or  excitement  under  any 


FOR    REBELDOM.  159 

pressure  of  circumstances.  His  face  always  wore  that, 
calm,  imperturbable  expression  denoting  a  well-bal- 
anced mind  and  a  thorough  self-control,  while  the  im- 
mobile countenance  and  close-set  lips  showed  that  he 
was  naturally  as  inscrutable  as  the  Sphinx.  Many  of 
his  associates  were  of  the  opinion  that  he  was  cold  and 
unfeeling,  but  /  knew  there  could  be  no  greater  mis- 
take than  this ;  /  knew  that  a  manlier,  nobler  heart 
never  existed  than  that  which  beat  within  the  broad 
breast  of  Timothy  Webster ;  and  I  knew  that,  re- 
served and  modest  as  he  was,  he  was  never  want- 
ing in  courtesy,  never  derelict  in  his  duty,  never 
behind  his  fellows  in  acts  of  kindness  and  mercy. 

It  was  when  he  was  detailed  for  such  operations 
as  the  one  in  question  that  his  disposition  underwent 
a  complete  metamorphosis.  Then  his  reserve 
vanished,  and  he  became  the  chatty,  entertaining 
boon  companion,  the  hero  of  the  card-table,  the  story- 
teller of  the  bar-room,  or  the  lion  of  the  social  gather- 
ing, as  the  exigencies  of  the  case  might  require.  He 
could  go  into  a  strange  place  and  in  one  day  surround 
himself  with  warm  friends,  who  would  end  by  telling 
him  all  he  desired  to  know.  In  a  life-time  of  varied 
detective  experience,  I  have  never  met  one  who  could 
more  readily  and  agreeably  adapt  himself  to  circum- 
stances. 

Webster  represented  himself  as  a  resident  of 
Baltimore,  and  gave  graphic  accounts  of  the  recent 
troubles  in  that  city ;  of  the  unpleasant  position  in 


160  WEBSTER     STARTS 

which  the  "  friends  of  the  cause  "  were  placed  by  the 
proximity  and  oppression  of  Northern  troops,  and  of 
the  outraged  feelings  of  the  populace  when  the 
"  Lincoln  hirelings  "  marched  through  the  streets  of 
the  Monumental  City.  His  eyes  seemed  to  flash  with 
indignation  during  the  recital,  and  it  would  have  been 
difficult  indeed  to  induce  his  audience  to  believe  that 
he  was  acting  a  part,  or  that  his  heart  was  not  with 
the  South. 

On  the  morning  of  his  departure  from  Clarkesville 
quite  a  number  of  soldiers  and  citizens,  who  had  become 
attached  to  him  during  his  brief  sojourn  with  them, 
accompanied  him  to  the  depot,  shook  him  warmly  by 
the  hand  at  parting,  and  earnestly  wished  him  God- 
speed. He  told  them  all  that  he  hoped  to  see  them 
again  soon,  and  waved  them  a  smiling  adieu  from  the 
platform  of  the  car,  as  the  train  whirled  him  away 
toward  Memphis. 

As  the  train  stopped  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Tennessee  river,  and  the  passengers  swarmed  out  of 
the  cars,  Webster  noticed  a  man  take  the  conductor 
aside  and  engage  in  earnest  conversation  with  him 
for  a  few  moments.  This  man  was  a  dark-com- 
plexioned, sharp-visaged,  long-haired  individual,  clad 
in  civilian's  garb,  and  wearing  a  broad-brimmed  hat. 
There  was  an  air  of  mystery  about  him  which 
attracted  more  than  a  passing  glance  from  the  scout, 
and  caused  the  latter  to  keep  an  eye  on  him  there- 
after. 


FOR    REBELDOM.  161 

The  passengers  were  obliged  to  cross  the  river  in 
a  ferry-boat.  The  train  going  south  was  in  waiting 
on  the  other  side,  and  its  conductor  stood  on  the 
bank  alone,  making  entries  in  his  memorandum-book. 
As  soon  as  the  boat  touched  the  land  the  man  with 
the  long  hair  and  broad-brimmed  hat  sprang  ashore 
and  approached  the  conductor,  to  whom  he  began  to 
talk  in  the  same  hurried,  nervous  manner  that  he  had 
done  to  the  one  on  the  other  side.  As  the  time 
for  starting  approached,  the  mysterious  stranger  and 
the  conductor  walked  toward  the  train  together, 
conversing  excitedly  as  they  went. 

"  There's  something  up,"  thought  Webster,  as  he 
boarded  the  train.  "  Perhaps  that  fellow  is  on  the 
look-out  for  new-comers  like  myself ;  but  we'll  see 
whether  he  is  sharp  enough  to  catch  a  weasel  asleep." 

For  the  first  twenty  miles  after  leaving  the  Ten- 
nessee river,  the  road  lay  through  an  uncultivated  re- 
gion of  swamps  and  heavy  timber.  At  every  station 
along  the  route  uniformed  men,  heavy  guns,  car-loads 
of  muskets  and  ammunition  were  seen,  indicating  gen- 
eral and  active  preparations  for  war,  while  the  se- 
cession flag  was  flying  in  the  breeze,  and  the  music  of 
fife  and  drum  was  frequently  borne  to  the  ear.  At 
Humboldt,  where  the  train  arrived  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  they  were  delayed  for  some  time,  and 
Webster  improved  the  opportunity  to  look  around 
him  and  to  procure  his  dinner.  The  man  with  the 
broad-brimmed  hat  seated  himself  almost  opposite 


ii 


1 62  WEBSTER     STARTS 

Webster  at  table,  who  noticed  that  his  restless,  inquis- 
itive eyes  were  kept  busy  scrutinizing  every  face  that 
came  within  range  of  his  vision.  He  did  not  address 
himself  to  any  one  during  the  progress  of  the  repast, 
and  after  hurriedly  satisfying  his  own  appetite,  he 
walked  out  upon  the  platform  of  the  depot,  where  he 
stood  intently  watching  the  other  passengers  as  they 
returned  to  the  train. 

Webster,  as  he  crossed  the  platform,  instinctively 
felt  that  those  searching  eyes  were  riveted  upon  him 
as  if  they  would  pierce  him  through,  but  he  did  not 
evince  the  slightest  degree  of  trepidation  or  uneasi- 
ness under  the  ordeal.  Assuming  an  air  of  quiet  un- 
consciousness, he  sauntered  past  the  man  without 
seeming  to  notice  him,  and  entered  the  smoking-car, 
coolly  lighted  a  cigar,  drew  a  Nashville  newspa- 
per from  his  pocket,  and  settled  himself  to  his  read- 
ing. He  saw  no  more  of  the  mysterious  stranger 
during  the  remainder  of  the  journey,  but  on  alighting 
from  the  train  at  the  Memphis  depot,  the  first  object 
that  met  his  gaze  was  the  wearer  of  the  broad-brim- 
med hat. 

Arriving  in  Memphis  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, Webster  went  directly  to  the  Worsham  House, 
where  he  intended  to  stay  while  in  the  city.  While 
registering  his  name  he  observed  a  military  officer  in 
full  uniform  standing  at  his  elbow,  watching  him 

o  ^> 

closely  as  he  wrote.  Several  other  new  arrivals 
placed  their  signatures  after  Webster,  and  he  then  no- 


FOR    REBELDOM.  163 

ticed  that  the  officer  was  engaged  in  making  a  copy 
of  names  and  addresses  on  a  piece  of  paper. 

While  watching  this  proceeding,  his  attention  was 
distracted  by  some  one  hastily  entering  the  hotel 
office.  It  was  his  mysterious  fellow-traveler,  who, 
stepping  into  the  center  of  the  room,  glanced  quickly 
around,  apparently  looking  for  some  particular  face. 
The  search  was  evidently  successful,  for,  walking  up 
to  one  of  the  men  who  had  just  arrived  on  the 
train  from  the  North,  he  tapped  him  on  the  shoul- 
der and  beckoned  him. 

After  a  few  moments'  conversation,  during  which 
the  new-comer  appeared  to  be  both  surprised  and 
frightened,  the  two  left  the  hotel  together  and  walked 
up  the  street  arm  in  arm. 

Two  citizens  who  were  lounging  near  the  door 
had  been  interested  spectators  of  this  incident,  and 
Webster  heard  one  of  them  inquire  :  . 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?" 

"  It  means  that  the  stranger  is  under  arrest,"  re- 
plied his  companion. 

"  Under  arrest  ?  And  who  is  the  man  who 
arrested  him  ?" 

"  Oh,  he  is  a  member  of  the  safety  committee." 

"  But  what  crime  has  the  stranger  committed,  that 
he  should  thus  be  taken  into  custody  ?" 

"  Nothing,  perhaps ;  but  the  fact  that  he  is  a 
stranger  from  the  North,  is  sufficient  to  mark  him  as 
an  object  of  suspicion." 


164  WEBSTER    STARTS 

"  Isn't  that  a  little  severe  ?" 

"  Severe  ?  It's  a  necessity  in  these  times.  For  my 
part,  I  am  in  for  hanging  every  Northern  man  who 
comes  here,  unless  he  can  give  the  most  satisfactory 
proof  that  he  is  not  a  spy." 

The  rest  of  the  conversation  did  not  reach  Web- 
ster's ear,  and,  being  much  fatigued  by  his  day's 
journey,  he  soon  retired,  to  seek  that  much  needed 
rest  which  slumber  only  could  afford. 

He  rose  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  feeling 
much  refreshed.  On  entering  the  dining-room  he 
found  it  crowded  with  guests,  the  majority  of  whom 
wore  the  uniform  and  shoulder-straps  of  Confederate 
officers.  The  conversation  around  the  table  was 
upon  the  all-absorbing  theme  which  at  that  time  was 
uppermost  in  every  mind,  and  the  scout  was  both 
amused  and  edified  by  what  he  heard.  He  did  not 
long  remain  a  silent  listener,  but  taking  his  cue  at  the 
proper  moment  he  entered  easily  and  naturally  into 
the  conversation  himself,  and  his  pleasing  address 
and  intelligent  observations  commanded  at  once  the 
respectful  attention  of  those  around  him. 

After  breakfast  Webster  determined  to  ascertain 
whether  or  not  he  was  under  the  surveillance  of  the 
vigilance  committee,  and  he  accordingly  left  the 
hotel,  and  wended  his  way  toward  the  post-office. 

He  had  not  proceeded  far  when  he  noticed  a  man 
who  appeared  to  be  following  him  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street.  Desiring  to  satisfy  himself  upon 


FOR    REBELDOM.  165 

this  point  he  walked  on  for  several  blocks,  and  then 
dropped  into  a  saloon.  Remaining  there  a  sufficient 
length  of  time  for  the  man  to  pass  from  view,  in  case 
he  did  not  stop  in  his  onward  course,  he  emerged 
from  the  saloon  and  retraced  his  steps  toward  the 
hotel.  As  he  did  so  he  noticed  the  stranger  on  the 
other  side  of  the  street,  dogging  him  as  before. 
This  left  no  doubt  in  his  mind  that  he  was  being 
shadowed,  and  he  resolved  to  be  guarded  in  his 
movements,  to  refrain  from  writing  any  reports  or 
making  any  notes  that  could  possibly  betray  him.  He 
returned  to  the  office  and  bar-room  of  the  Worsham 
Hotel,  and  spent  an  hour  or  two  reading  and  smok- 
ing. While  thus  occupied,  three  military  officers 
entered  and  stood  near  the  bar  engaged  in  animated 
conversation.  Webster  sauntered  toward  them,  and 
heard  one  of  the  trio — a  man  whom  the  others  ad- 
dressed as  "  Doctor" — remark  emphatically : 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,  that  is  a  true  principle.  It  will 
not  do  to  let  a  man  set  foot  on  Kentucky  soil  until  the 
Northern  troops  disregard  the  neutrality  of  that  State." 

Catching  the  drift  of  the  conversation,  Webster 
stepped  forward  and  said  : 

%     "  I  beg  pardon,  sir  ;  will  you  permit  me  to  ask  one 
question  ?" 

The  three  officers  turned  toward   him,  with   ex- 
pressions  of  mild   surprise   in   their  faces,  and   the 
Doctor  replied  : 
.   "  Certainly,  sir  ;  certainly." 


1 66  WEBSTER    STARTS 

"Do  you  suppose,"  added  Webster,  "that  Ken- 
tucky will  allow  the  Northern  army  to  march  through 
the  State  without  showing  fight  ?" 

"  Not  by  a  jug-full,"  was  the  prompt  response. 
"The  moment  the  Northern  army  crosses  the  Ohio 
river,  Kentucky  will  rise  in  arms  and  take  sides  with 
the  South." 

"  If  she  doesn't,"  said  Webster,  with  much  appar- 
ent warmth,  "  she  will  prove  herself  unworthy  of  the 
respect  of  any  true  Southern  men  !" 

The  Doctor's  face  brightened  up,  and  he  laid  his 
hand  approvingly  on  the  scout's  shoulder. 

"  May  I  ask  where  you  are  from  ?" 

"  I  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  reared  in  Mary- 
land," was  the  quiet  reply,  "  and  I  am  now  direct 
from  Baltimore." 

"  Baltimore !"  ejaculated  the  whole  trio  in  chorus ; 
and  the  next  moment  were  all  shaking  hands  in  the 
most  vigorous  fashion. 

"  Baltimore !"  repeated  the  Doctor,  his  face  red 
with  his  recent  exertion.  "  My  friend,  we  are  always 
glad  to  meet  a  Baltimorean,  for  we  know  there  is 
many  a  true  man  in  that  city  who  would  help  us  if 
he  could.  May  I  ask  your  name,  sir  ?" 

"Webster — Timothy  Webster." 

"A  devilish  good  name.  Mine  is  Burton.  My 
friends  all  call  me  Doctor  Burton.  Allow  me  to  intro- 
duce you  to  Colonel  Dalgetty  and  to  Captain  Stanley 
of  the  Arkansas  Rifles." 


FOR    REBELDOM. 


'67 


The  introduction  was  cordially  acknowledged  on 
both  sides,  and  Webster  then  said  : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  was  about  to  call  for  a  drink  when 
I  heard  you  speak  of  Kentucky.  I  am  happy  to 
know  that  there  is  still  hopes  for  that  State.  Will 
you  drink  her  health  with  me  ?" 

And  in  the  clinking  of  the  glasses,  and  the  quaf- 
fing of  their  favorite  beverages,  the  new  link  of  friend- 
ship was  forged. 


RUN    DOWN    BY    CAVALRY. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Webster  Fraternizes  with  the  Rebel  Officers. — A  Secession 
Hat. — A  Visit  to  a  Rebel  Camp. — "  The  Committee  of 
Safety." — A  Friendly  Stranger. — A  Warning, —  The 
Escape. 

WEBSTER'S  new  friends  were  men  whom  he 
believed  he  could  use  to  good  advantage,  and 
he  determined  to  improve  the  chance  that  had  thrown 
him  in  contact  with  them.  He  found  them  not  only 
very  well  informed,  but  disposed  to  be  communica- 
tive, and  he  therefore  applied  the  "  pumping  "  process 
with  all  the  skill  at  his  command.  He  experienced 
no  difficulty  in  making  this  mode  of  operation 
effectual,  for  these  officers  were  exceedingly  willing  to 
air  their  knowledge  for  the  benefit  of  their  Baltimore 
friend,  and  enjoyed  his  frequent  expressions  of  agree- 
able surprise  at  the  extent  of  the  preparations  made 
by  the  people  of  the  South  to  defend  their  rights. 

Dr.  Burton  was  the  most  conspicuous  one  of  the 
group,  from  his  very  pompousness.  He  wore  a 
superfluity  of  gorgeous  gold  lace  on  his  uniform,  and 
assumed  the  dignity  of  a  major-general.  He  was 
a  flabby-faced,  bulbous-eyed  individual,  with  a 
wonderful  stomach  for  harboring  liquor,  and  that 

[168] 


A     VISIT    TO    A     REBEL     CAMP.  169 

unceasing  flow  of  spirits  arising  from  a  magnified 
sense  of  his  own  importance.  It  was  evident,  even  upon 
a  short  acquaintance,  that  the  doctor  found  his  chief 
entertainment  in  listening  to  himself  talk,  a  species  of 
recreation  in  which  he  indulged  with  great  regularity, 
sharing  the  pleasure  with  as  many  others  as  would 
grant  him  a  hearing. 

In  Webster  he  found  an  attentive  auditor,  which 
so  flattered  his  vanity  that  he  at  once  formed  a 
strong  attachment  for  my  operative,  and  placed  him- 
self on  familiar  and  confidential  terms  with  him. 

"  Webster,  we've  got  to  do  some  hard  fighting  in 
these  parts,  and  that  before  we  are  many  days  older," 
said  the  Doctor,  with  a  wise  shake  of  the  head. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  conceded  the  scout. 
"  We  must  fight  it  out.  From  what  you  have  told 
me,  however,  I  am  sure  the  Lincoln  troops  will  find 
you  fully  prepared  to  give  them  a  warm  reception 
here." 

"  That  they  will,  sir ;  that  they  will !"  was  the 
emphatic  rejoiner.  "We  have  one  full  regiment  and 
four  or  five  companies  besides,  at  Camp  Rector,  and 
General  Pillow  has  thirty-seven  hundred  men  at  the 
camp  in  the  rear  of  Fort  Harris,  which  is  a  little 
above  us  on  this  side  of  the  river.  We  expect  to  move 
with  him,  and  if  there  is  an  attack  made  upon  us 
every  man  in  the  town  will  instantly  become  a 
soldier." 

"  Have  you  arms  enough  for  all  of  them?" 


170  A     VISIT     TO 

11  Arms  ?  Let  the  Yankees  count  on  our  not  having 
arms,  and  they  will  meet  with  a  surprise  party.  In 
two  hours'  notice  we  can  have  from  eight  to  ten 
thousand  men  ready  to  march." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Doctor  ;  but  how  do  you  expect 
to  get  two  hours'  notice  ?" 

"  Lord  bless  you,  Webster,  we  have  men  watching 
the  movements  of  the  Yankees  at  Cairo,  and  the 
minute  they  make  a  move  we  are  notified.  Then 
our  signal  gun  is  fired,  and  every  man  is  mustered." 

"  A  good  arrangement,  truly,"  said  the  detective, 
quietly. 

"  You  look  as  if  you  could  do  some  hard  fight- 
ing yourself,  Mr.  Webster,"  remarked  Colonel  Dal- 
getty. 

The  detective  smiled. 

"  I  have  been  fighting  against  great  odds  for  the 
past  two^months  in  Baltimore.  The  last  battle  I 
fought  was  to  get  away  from  there  with  my  life." 

"  Yes,  and  we  are  confounded  glad  to  receive  you 
here,"  exclaimed  the  enthusiastic  Doctor,  shaking 
Webster  by  the  hand  for  the  twentieth  time.  "  Come, 
gentlemen,  we  must  have  another  drink.  Step  up 
and  nominate  your  'pizen.'" 

The  glasses  were  filled,  and  some  one  proposed 
the  toast  :  "  Death  to  the  Yankees  T  Under  his 
breath,  however,  the  detective  muttered,  "  Confusion 
to  the  rebels  !"  and  drained  his  glass.  The  toast  was 
no  sooner  drank  than  Lieutenant  Stanley,  who  was 


A     REBEL     CAMP.  171 

evidently  beginning  to  feel  the  influence  of  the  liquor 
he  had  drank,  took  off  his  uniform  hat  and  put  it  on 
Webster's  head. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Webster,"  he  said,  "  I  merely 
wish  to  see  how  you  look  in  one  of  our  hats."  Then 
stepping  back,  he  added :  "  By  the  gods,  nothing 
could  be  more  becoming !  My  dear  fellow,  you  must 
have  one  by  all  means,  if  you  stay  among  us." 

Webster  endeavored  laughingly  to  object,  but 
they  all  refused  to  accept  "  no  "  for  an  answer.  So, 
finding  it  impossible  to  resist,  he  went  with  them  to  a 
neighboring  hat  store. 

"  Fit  a  hat  to  Mr.  Webster's  head — a  hat  just  like 
mine,"  said  Dr.  Burton,  to  the  proprietor ;  then  turn- 
ing to  the  scout,  he  added :  "  We  will  have  you  a 
cord  and  tassel  of  blue,  as  that  will  show  that  you  are 
true  to  the  cause,  although  you  do  not  belong  to  the 
military." 

The  hatter  produced  a  secession  chapeau  of  the 
kind  and  size  required,  and  Webster  at  once  put  it 
on,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  Doctor,  who  slapped 
Webster  familiarly  on  the  shoulder,  with  the  excla- 
mation : 

"  Now,  my  dear  fellow,  you  can  consider  yourself 
at  home !" 

"Perfectly  at  home,"  echoed  Colonel  Dalgetty. 

"  Henceforward  you  are  one  of  us,"  put  in  the 
Lieutenant. 

Webster  thanked  them  cordially  for  their  kind- 


172  A     VISIT     TO 

ness,  and  promised  to  wear  it  in  preference  to  any 
other.  As  they  stepped  outside  of  the  store,  how- 
ever, all  thoughts  of  the  new  hat  were  temporarily 
driven  from  his  mind,  for,  standing  on  the  sidewalk, 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  store  door,  and  looking 
directly  at  him,  was  the  identical  individual  whom  he 
had  noticed  on  the  train,  who  had  arrested  the 
Northern  stranger  the  night  before. 

The  gaze  which  this  vigilant  agent  of  the  safety 
committee  now  bent  upon  Webster  was  full  of  dark 
suspicion,  but  after  one  swift  glance  at  him  the 
detective  turned  away  with  an  air  of  perfect  compos- 
ure and  unconcern,  and  walked  off  between  his  com- 
panions. To  say  that  he  felt  some  uneasiness  at  this 
evidence  that  he  was  still  being  closely  followed, 
would  be  only  to  tell  the  truth.  His  first  impulse 
was  to  speak  to  his  companions  about  it,  but  a  second 
thought  decided  him  not  to  mention  the  matter  to 
any  one,  nor  to  betray  by  word  or  act  that  he  had  the 
slightest  hint  of  a  suspicion  that  he  was  being  watched. 

The  three  officers  introduced  Webster  to  a  large 
number  of  soldiers  and  citizens,  and  before  the  day 
was  over  he  had  quite  an  extended  circle  of  acquaint- 
ance in  Memphis.  Dr.  Burton,  who  had  conceived  a 
fancy  for  him,  as  sudden  as  it  was  pronounced,  as- 
sumed a  sort  of  paternal  control  over  Webster,  hover- 
ing about  him  with  an  air  of  protection  and  solicitude, 
and  drawing  the  scout's  arm  through  his  when  they 
walked  together. 


A    REBEL    CAMP.  173 

That  afternoon,  Webster,  desiring  to  be  alone  for 
awhile,  hired  one  of  the  hackmen  at  the  door  of  the 
hotel  to  drive  him  three  or  four  miles  into  the  coun- 
try. He  went  down  the  river  road,  and  as  it  was  a 
beautiful  day,  he  enjoyed  himself  admiring  the  pictu- 
resque scenery  along  the  way. 

Just  below  the  town,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  he 
found  a  small  encampment  of  soldiers  with  a  battery, 
who  were  on  the  lookout  for  boats  coming  up  the 
river,  and  during  his  ride  he  saw  several  encampments 
of  the  same  nature.  After  spending  several  hours  in- 
specting the  fortifications  along  the  river,  Webster 
returned  to  the  hotel,  which  he  reached  about  dark. 

The  next  day  Doctor  Burton  and  several  of  his 
military  friends  sought  out  the  detective,  and  urged 
him  to  go  with  them  to  Camp  Rector. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  at  your  service,"  said  Webster, 
earnestly.  "  I  think  I  would  enjoy  a  visit  to  your 
camp  to-day  above  all  things." 

They  went  to  the  levee,  and  at  ten  o'clock  were 
on  the  boat,  steaming  up  the  river  toward  Mound 
City,  where  Camp  Rector  was  located. 

A  distance  of  some  six  or  seven  miles,  passing  on 
their  way  up,  various  objects  of  interest,  among  them 
Fort  Harris,  which  was  merely  an  embankment 
thrown  up,  to  answer  the  purpose.  Arriving  at  Mound 
City,  the  party  disembarked  and  walked  to  the  hotel. 
After  dinner  the  party  visited  the  camp-ground,  a 
distance  of  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  hotel, 


i74  A      VISIT     TO 

and  here  Dr.  Burton  and  the  other  officers  took  much 
pride  in  showing  Webster  around.  They  talked 
volubly  about  the  unexampled  bravery  of  .the  Con- 
federate soldier ;  had  much  to  say  on  the  subject  of 
Southern  chivalry  as  opposed  to  Northern  braggadocio; 
told  how  well  they  were  prepared  to  meet  the  on- 

I 

slaught  of  the  enemy  ;  and  found  a  special  delight  in 
exhibiting  to  the  visitor  a  portion  of  General  Bragg's 
artillery,  which  they  had  in  the  camp. 

After  that  they  seated  themselves  around  a  table 
in  one  of  the  larger  tents,  to  rest  and  enjoy  the 
grateful  shade,  as  it  was  a  warm  and  sunny  afternoon. 
While  engaged  in  the  most  bombastic  utterances  of 
their  prowess,  and  of  the  wonderful  exploits  that 
might  be  expected  of  the  Southern  army,  their  con- 
versation was  interrupted  by  a  shadow  falling  across 
the  strip  of  sunlight  that  streamed  in  through  the  open- 
ing of  the  tent.  Every  one  around  the  table  glanced 
up,  and  there  at  the  entrance  stood  the  man  with  the 
broad-brimmed  hat !  The  intruder  did  not  tarry  a 
moment,  but  turned  and  walked  away.  Evidently  he 
had  stopped  only  to  look  in  ;  but  in  that  single  instant 
he  had  shot  a  keen,  and  apparently  satisfactory,  glance 
at  Timothy  Webster,  which  was  fortunately  not  ob- 
served by  any  one  save  the  detective  himself. 

"  That  fellow  is  one  of  the  safety  committee," 
said  Dr.  Burton,  filling  his  glass. 

"He  appears  to  be  looking  for  some  one," 
remarked  Lieutenant  Stanley. 


A    REBEL     CAMP.  175 

"Reckon  he  is,"  answered  the  Doctor.  "He's 
always  looking  for  some  one.  And,  by-the-bye,  those 
chaps  are  doing  a  heap  of  good  for  the  cause  just 
now.  A  Northern  man  stands  no  show  for  his  life  in 
these  parts  if  the  safety  committee  spots  him.  They 
hang  'em  on  suspicion." 

"  That's  right,"  said  Webster,  coolly.  "  I  believe 
in  hanging  every  Northern  man  that  comes  prowling 
around.  They  don't  deserve  a  trial,  for  they  have  no 
right  here  anyway." 

But  cool  and  collected  as  Webster  outwardly 
appeared,  it  must  be  admitted  that  he  was  inwardly 
ill  at  ease.  There  was  now  no  longer  the  shadow  of 
a  doubt  in  his  mind  that  this  long-haired  agent  of  the 
safety  committee  was  following  him  and  watching 
his  every  movement,  and  that  any  attempt  on  his 
part  to  return  to  the  North  would  betray  him  and 
cause  his  arrest. 

"  The  only  reason  I  have  not  already  been 
arrested,"  mused  the  scout,  "is  because  they  are  not 
sure  whether  I  came  from  the  North  or  not.  They 
merely  suspect,  and  are  watching  me  to  see  if  I  under- 
take to  return  northward.  Such  an  act  would  confirm 
their  suspicions,  and  I  would  be  arrested  and  probably 
put  to  death  as  a  spy.  It  stands  me  in  hand  to  give 
them  the  slip  before  I  take  the  back  track." 

After  spending  a  very  pleasant  day  at  the  camp, 
he  returned  to  Memphis  on  the  latest  boat  that  night, 
informing  Dr.  Burton  that  he  was  going  to  Chatta- 


176  A     VISIT    TO 

nooga  to  look  up  a  brother  whom  he  had  not  seen  in 
twelve  years. 

"  You'll  come  back  ?"  said  the  Doctor,  as  he  wrung 
his  hand. 

"  Oh,  certainly,"  was  the  cheerful  response.  "  I'll 
be  with  you  again  before  long." 

Colonel  Gaines,  of  the  artillery,  who  heard  this 
conversation,  now  grasped  the  scout's  hand. 

"  Webster,  you'd  make  a  good  soldier,"  he  said, 
bluntly.  "  Hang  me  if  I  wouldn't  like  to  have  you 
on  my  force." 

Webster  smiled  good-naturedly. 

"  I  have  some  family  business  to  attend  to  before 
I  could  think  of  entering  the  army.  After  that  I  may 
remind  you  of  your  remark." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  any  time  that  you 
are  ready,  come  ;  I  will  make  room  for  you." 

On  his  way  down  the  river  Webster  found,  to  his 
relief,  that  the  man  with  the  broad-brimmed  hat  was 
not  aboard  the  boats.  He  now  had  a  hope  of 
being  able  to  give  his  shadow  the  slip  by  leaving 
Memphis  on  early  train  in  the  morning. 

Arriving  in  sight  of  their  destination,  the  passen- 
gers on  the  ferry-boat  were  surprised  to  see  that  the 
levee  was  crowded  with  people.  Shortly  after,  they 
learned  that  this  unusual  gathering  was  caused  by 
the  capture  of  the  steamboat  "  Prince  of  Wales  "  by 
the  rebels. 

Webster  went  to  the  Worsham  Hotel,  where   he 


A    REBEL     CAMP.  177 

spent  the  night,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
after  making  a  few  preparations,  and  dispatching  an 
early  breakfast,  he  repaired  to  the  depot.  Arriving 
there  he  looked  carefully  about  on  all  sides,  but  saw 
no  one  who  seemed  to  take  any  interest  in  his  move- 
ments. "  So  far,  so  good,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
boarded  the  train ;  and  the  next  minute  he  was  leav- 
ing the  scene  of  his  most  recent  exploits  with  the 
speed  of  the  wind. 

He  was  himself  too  shrewd  and  cunning  to  feel 
absolutely  sure  that  he  was  not  followed.  His  own 
experience  in  the  art  of  "  shadowing "  told  him  he 
had  not  yet  escaped  the  vigilant  eyes  of  the  safety 
committee,  but  he  resolved  to  elude  them  if  it  was 
possible  to  do  so. 

Innumerable  troops  were  being  transported  at 
this  time,  and  the  train  was  crowded  with  soldiers. 
Webster  amused  himself  by  making  the  acquaintance 
of  the  officers,  and  skillfully  drawing  on  their  fund  of 
information,  until  the  train  arrived  at  Grand  Junction, 
where  he  decided  to  change  cars  for  Jackson,  Tennes- 
see. 

Accordingly,  he  abandoned  the  Chattanooga  cars 
and  boarded  the  north-bound  train,  which  was  in  wait- 
ing at  the  junction,  and  again  he  was  whirled  away 
across  the  verdure-clad  country,  this  time  toward  the 
"land  of  the  free."  But  no  sooner  was  the  train 
well  under  way  than  something  which  came  under 
Webster's  observation  removed  from  his  mind  all 

12 


i78  A      VISIT     TO, 

doubt  as  to  whether  he  would  be  permitted  to  pursue 
his  journey  unmolested.  He  occupied  a  seat  in  the 
forward  part  of  the  car,  and  on  turning  carelessly 
away  from  the  window  after  gazing  out  upon  the 
landscape  for  awhile,  he  was  somewhat  surprised  at 
seeing  an  individual  standing  on  the  front  platform 
of  the  car,  looking  in  through  the  glass  door. 

It  was  a  person  whose  face  and  figure  had  already 
become  quite  familiar  to  him,  being  no  other  than  the 
man  who  had  so  persistently  followed  him  for  the 
past  few  days. 

"  He  seems  determined  not  to  let  me  get  away," 
thought  the  scout ;  but  neither  in  his  face  nor  manner 
did  he  betray  any  of  the  disappointment  he  felt. 

He  noticed  that  his  pursuer  was  not  alone  this 
time,  but  was  accompanied  by  another  person — an 
ill-looking  man  of  herculean  proportions — with  whom 
he  conversed  in  an  earnest,  confidential  way. 

When  the  train  arrived  at  Jackson,  Webster 
stepped  out  upon  the  platform  of  the  depot,  and  the 
two  agents  of  the  safety  committee  did  the  same.  The 
conductor  stood  near  by,  and  Webster  spoke  to  him 
in  a  tone  which  he  meant  his  shadows  to  hear,  ask- 
ing: 

"  How  soon  will  there  be  a  train  for  Humboldt  ?" 

"  In  twenty  minutes,"  replied  the  conductor. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  hotels  there  ?" 
inquired  the  scout.  "  I've  got  to  stop  two  or  three 
days  in  the  town,  and  it's  a  strange  place  to  me." 


A     REBEL     CAMP.  179 

The  conductor  recommended  him  to  a  good  house 
convenient  to  the  depot,  and  thanking  him  for  the  in- 
formation, Webster  turned  away.  He  had  spoken  in 
a  tone  that  he  knew  must  have  been  distinctly 
heard  by  his  enemies,  and  he  hoped  this  bit  of  strata- 
gem would  have  the  desired  effect. 

He  boarded  the  train  for  Humboldt,  and  the  brace 
of  shadows  promptly  followed  him,  taking  seats  in 
the  same  car.  .,-. 

While  the  train  was  speeding  on  its*  way,  Webster 
was  aroused  from  a  reverie  by  the  voice  of  a  woman 
saying : 

"  Pardon  me,  sir ;  may  I  occupy  a  portion  of  this 
seat?" 

He  looked  up  ;  a  tall,  very  respectable  looking 
lady  was  standing  in  the  aisle,  and  he  saw  in  an 
instant  that  she  was  the  person  who  had  addressed 
him. 

"  Certainly,  madam,  certainly  ;"  he  replied  ;  and 
quickly  made  room  for  her. 

She  sat  down  beside  him,  and  then,  to  his  great 
surprise,  she  began  to  talk  to  him  in  a  low,  earnest 
tone,  without  once  turning  her  face  toward  him. 

"  You  are  going  to  Humboldt  ?"  she  inquired. 

"  I  am,"  he  answered,  surprised  at  the  question. 

"  You  are  a  Northern  man  ?" 

"  Madam  !"  A  suspicion  flashed,  lightning-like, 
across  his  mind. 

"  Believe  me,   I  am  not  an  enemy,"  the  lady  went 


i8o  A     VISIT     TO 

on,  "  I  have  been  sitting  in  the  rear  part  of  this  car. 
I  heard  two  men  talking,  and  have  reason  to  believe 
they  were  speaking  about  you.  They  said  they 
would  stop  at  the  same  hotel  with  you  in  Humboldt, 
and  keep  a  close  watch  over  you,  and  if  you  attempt 
to  go  northward  they  will  arrest  you,  take  you  back 
to  Memphis,  and  deal  with  you  as  they  would  with 
any  Northern  spy.  I  advise  you  to  be  very  careful, 
sir,  for  your  life  depends  upon  it." 

The  train  by  this  time  was  approaching  Hum- 
boldt, and  the  lady  arose  and  disappeared  before  the 
astonished  detective  could  tender  his  thanks  for  the 
warning.  She  was  destined  to  remain  an  utter 
stranger  to  him  for  all  time  to  come,  for  he  never 
heard  of  her  afterwards.  As  they  entered  the  depot, 
Webster  passed  out  at  the  rear  end  of  the  car,  and  he 
noticed,  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction,  that  his  attendant 
shadows  were  making  their  way  out  at  the  front.  As 
he  stepped  from  the  car  he  noticed  a  pile  of  baggage 
near  him,  and  quickly  stepping  behind  this,  he 
watched  the  movements  of  the  two  men.  Apparently 
fully  satisfied  that  their  game  would  be  safely  bagged 
at  the  hotel,  they  left  the  depot  and  walked  rapidly 
away  in  the  direction  of  the  public-house.  His  ruse 
worked  to  a  charm.  A  violent  shower  happened  to 
be  passing  over  at  this  time,  and  it  was  only  natural 
for  the  two  "  safety "  men  to  suppose  that  Webster 
had  stopped  to  seek  shelter  in  the  depot  for  a  few 
minutes. 


A     REBEL     CAMP. 


181 


The  express  train  from  Memphis  was  soon  due, 
and  as  it  came  dashing  in  "  on  time,"  Webster  jumped 
aboard,  and  was  on  his  way  toward  Louisville,  smil- 
ing in  his  sleeve  as  he  thought  of  those  two  crafty 
foxes,  whose  cunning  had  overreached  themselves, 
patiently  awaiting  his  arrival  at  the  hotel  in  Hum- 
boldt. 

Before  crossing  the  Kentucky  line,  Webster  put 
his  rebel  hat  out  of  sight,  and  once  more  donned  the 
one  he  had  worn  from  the  North. 

The  remainder  of  his  journey  was  made  without 
incident,  and  in  due  time  he  arrived  in  Cincinnati, 
and  reported  to  me. 


A    HOT    LUNCH. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

/  take  a  Trip  to  the  South. — Danger  in  Memphis. — A  Timely 
Warning. — A  Persistent  Barber. — An  Unfortunate 
Memory. — Return  to  Cincinnati. 

TIMOTHY  WEBSTER  had  scarcely  departed 
upon  his  trip  to  Memphis,  when  I  was  sum- 
moned for  consultation  with  General  McClellan. 
Upon  repairing  to  his  office,  which  I  did  immediately 
on  receiving  his  message,  I  found  him  awaiting  my 
arrival,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  was  informed  of  his 
wishes.  He  was  desirous  of  ascertaining,  as  defi- 
nitely as  possible,  the  general  feeling  of  the  people 
residing  South  of  the  Ohio  river,  in  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  and  requested  that 
measures  be  at  once  taken  to  carry  out  his  purposes. 
It  was  essentially  necessary  at  the  outset  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  all  the  facts  that  might  be  of 
importance  hereafter,  and  no  time  offered  such  oppor- 
tunities for  investigations  of  this  nature  as  the  pres- 
ent, while  the  war  movement  was  in  its  incipiency, 
and  before  the  lines  between  the  opposing  forces  had 
been  so  closely  drawn  as  to  render  traveling  in  the 
disaffected  district  unsafe,  if  not  utterly  impossible. 

As  this  mission  was  of  a  character  that  required 
[182] 


A     TRIP     TO     THE    SOUTH,  183 

coolness  and  tact,  as  well  as  courage,  and  as  most  of 
my  men  had  been  detailed  for  duties  in  other  sections 
of  the  rebellious  country,  I  concluded  to  make  the 
journey  myself,  and  at  once  stated  my  intention  to 
the  General,  who  received  it  with  every  evidence  of 
satisfaction  and  approval. 

"  The  very  thing  I  should  have  proposed,  Major," 
said  he ;  "  and  if  you  will  undertake  this  matter,  I 
have  no  fears  of  a  failure,  and  every  confidence  in 
obtaining  important  developments."  ., 

My  action  had  been  prompted  by  two  impelling' 
reasons.  The  first  was  the  absence  of  the  men  whom 
I  had  thus  far  engaged,  and  who,  as  I  have  before 
stated,  had  been  detailed  upon  missions  of  investiga- 
tions in  various  parts  of  the  South  and  West,  and  the 
other  was  a  desire  to  see  for  myself  the  actual  con- 
dition of  affairs  as  they  existed  at  that  time.  I  have 
invariably  found  that  a  personal  knowledge  is  far 
more  satisfactory  than  that  gleamed  from  others,  and 
whenever  it  was  possible,  I  have  endeavored  to 
acquire  my  information  by  such  means.  Another 
advantage  to  be  derived  from  a  personal  observation 
was  that  I  would  be  necessarily  forced  to  rely  in 
many  matters  to  which  it  would  be  impossible  for  me 
to  devote  my  personal  attention. 

Having  arranged  everything  to  my  satisfaction, 
in  order  that  my  absence  would  occasion  no  disar- 
rangement in  the  proper  conduct  of  the  investigations 
already  commenced,  I  left  my  office  in  the  charge  of 


1 84  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

Mr.  George  H.  Bangs,  my  general  superintendent, 
and  started  upon  my  journey,  intending  to  be  as 
rapid  in  my  movements  as  circumstances  would  per- 
mit, and  to  return  at  as  early  a  date  as  I  could,  con- 
sistently with  the  proper  performance  of  the  duties 
intrusted  to  me. 

My  first  objective  point  was  the  city  of  Louisville, 
in  Kentucky.  The  position  of  this  State  at  the 
present  time  was  a  peculiar  one.  Her  Governor,  if 
not  a  Southern  conspirator,  was,  if  his  own  language 
was  to  be  relied  upon,  both  in  opinion  and  expecta- 
tion, a  disunionist.  He  had  at  first  remonstrated 
against  the  action  of  the  Cotton  States,  but  after  that 
action  had  been  taken,  he  was  unqualifiedly  opposed 
to  coercing  them  back  to  obedience,  and  in  addition 
to  this,  he  had  endeavored  to  excite  his  own  people 
to  a  resistance  to  the  principles  and  policy  of  the 
party  in  power. 

The  people,  however,  did  not  sustain  his  views, 
and  while  the  popular  sentiment  was  deeply  pro- 
slavery,  and  while  her  commerce  bound  her  strongly 
to  the  South,  the  patriotic  example  and  teachings  of 
Henry  Clay  had  impressed  upon  them  a  reverence 
and  love  for  Union  higher  and  purer  than  any  mere 
pressing  interests  or  selfish  advantage. 

At  Louisville,  therefore,  I  found  a  degree  of 
excitement  prevailing  that  was  naturally  to  be  ex- 
pected from  the  unsettled  condition  of  public  affairs. 
The  Governor  had  refused  to  comply  with  the  Presi- 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  185 

dent's  call  for  troops,  and  the  State  had  been  in  a 
state  of  hopeless  bewilderment  and  conflict  of  opinion 
in  consequence.  A  strong  minority,  arrogating  to 
themselves  an  undue  importance,  were  endeavoring, 
by  self-assertion  and  misapplied  zeal,  to  carry  the 
State  into  the  secession  fold,  but  thus  far  they  had 
made  no  substantial  progress  against  an  overwhelm- 
ing undercurrent  of  Union  sentiment.  Failing  in 
this,  their  energies  were  now  devoted  to  an  effort  to 
place  the  State  in  a  neutral  attitude,  which  would  pre- 
vent her  from  taking  a  decided  stand  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  supporting  the  Union.  Thus  far  they  had 
been  temporarily  successful,  and  on  the  i6th  day  of 
May  the  house  of  representatives  passed  resolutions 
declaring  that  Kentucky  "  should  during  the  contest 
occupy  the  position  of  strict  neutrality." 

This  was  the  existing  condition  of  affairs  when  I 
arrived  in  Louisville,  and  which  I  found  prevalent 
throughout  all  the  sections  of  the  State  I  passed. 

Representing  myself  as  a  Southern  man,  a  resi- 
dent of  Georgia,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  engaging  in 
conversation  with  the  prominent  men  of  both  ele- 
ments, and  I  decided  then,  from  my  own  observations, 
that  Kentucky  would  not  cast  her  fortunes  with  the 
South,  but  that,  after  the  bubble  of  unnatural  excite- 
ment had  burst  and  expended  itself,  the  loyal  heart 
would  be  touched,  and  "  Old  Kaintuck  "  would  event- 
ually keep  step  to  the  music  of  the  Union.  Results 
proved  that  I  was  not  mistaken,  and  not  many  weeks 


1 86  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

elapsed  before  Union  camps  were  established  within 
her  domain,  and  the  broad-shouldered  Kentuckians 
were  swearing  allegiance  to  the  old  flag,  and,  shoul- 
dering their  muskets,  entered  into  the  contest  with  a 
determination  to  support  the  government. 

Passing  on  undisturbed,  but  everywhere  on  the 
alert,  and  making  copious  notes  of  everything  that 
transpired,  that  I  considered  at  all  material  to  the 
furtherance  of  the  loyal  cause,  I  reached  Bowling 
Green. 

At  this  place  I  found  a  very  decided  Union  senti- 
ment, the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  floating  from  the 
various  buildings,  and  the  Union  men  were  largely  in 
the  majority.  There  was  one  great  cause  for  dis- 
quietude, however,  which  was  very  manifest  even  to 
a  casual  observer.  Many  residents  of  Bowling  Green 
and  the  vicinity  were  slave  owners,  and  the  impres- 
sion had  become  general  throughout  the  negro  com- 
munities that  the  opening  of  the  war  naturally  and 
inevitably  involved  their  freedom,  an  opinion,  how- 
ever, without  sure  foundation,  at  that  time,  but 
which  was  eventually  to  be  justified  by  subsequent 
events.  The  slaves  had  heard  their  masters  discuss- 
ing the  various  questions  which  naturally  grew  out 
of  a  conflict  of  this  chance  character,  and  in  which  it 
was  generally  admitted,  that  emancipation  must  fol- 
low the  commencement  and  continuance  of  hostilities 
between  the  two  sections.  It  was  not  surprising 
therefore,  that  this  opinion  should  spread  among  the 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  187 

entire  colored  element,  or  that  it  should  be  greedily 
accepted  by  these  down-trodden  blacks  as  the  har- 
binger of  a  freedom  for  which  they  had  been  praying. 
In  conversation  with  one  of  the  leading  men  of 
Bowling  Green,  I  was  thoroughly  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  this  phase  of  circumstances. 

"  Mr.  Allen,"  said  he,  "you  have  no  idea  of  the 
danger  we  are  apprehending  from  the  blacks.  We 
know  that  the  moment  that  Lincoln  sends  his  aboli- 
tion soldiers  among  our  niggers,  they  will  break  out 
and  murder  all  before  them.  Why,  sir,"  continued  he, 
"we  cannot  sleep  sound  at  nights  for  fear  of  the  nig- 
gers. They  think  Lincoln  is  going  to  set  them  free." 

"  Why,"  I  interrupted,  "  what  can  they  know 
about 'Lincoln  ?" 

"  They  know  too  much  about  him,"  he  replied  ; 
"  there  has  been  so  much  talk  about  this  matter  all 
through  the  State,  that  the  niggers  know  as  much 
about  it  as  we  do." 

"  You  should  not  talk  before  your  niggers  ;  it  is 
not  safe,  and  I  never  do  it."  As  I  never  owned  a 
negro  this  was  perfectly  true. 

"  I  know  we  should  not,  but  it  is  too  late  now ; 
they  know  as  much  as  we  do,  and  too  much  for  our 
safety  or  peace  of  mind.  Why,  sir,  we  are  compelled 
to  mount  guard  at  nights  ourselves  for  mutual  pro- 
tection, and  though  there  has  been  no  outbreak  as 
yet,  and  I  believe  that  this  is  the  only  thing  that 
keeps  them  in  check." 


1 88  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

"  It  would  be  a  good  plan,"  said  I,  anxious  to 
preserve  my  reputation  as  a  Southern  pro-slavery 
man,  "  to  take  all  the  men  and  boys  over  fifteen  years 
of  age  and  sell  them  South." 

"  That's  the  devil  of  it,"  he  replied,  "  we  cannot 
do  that ;  it  was  tried  only  last  week,  and  a  nigger 
that  I  was  offered  $1,500  for  last  year,  I  could  not 
sell  at  any  price." 

Already,  it  seemed,  the  fruits  of  the  slavery  agita- 
tion were  being  made  apparent.  The  very  institu- 
tion for  which  these  misguided  men  were  periling 
their  lives,  and  sacrificing  their  fortunes,  was  threat- 
ened with  demolition ;  and  the  slaves  who  had  so  long 
and  so  often  felt  the  lash  of  their  masters,  were  now 
becoming  a  source  of  fear  to  the  very  men  who  had 
heretofore  held  them  in  such  utter  subjection. 

This  state  of  affairs  I  found  to  be  prevalent  all 
over  the  country  which  I  visited.  Bright  visions  of 
freedom  danced  before  the  eyes  of  the  slaves,  and 
they  awaited  anxiously  the  dawning  of  the  day,  when 
the  coming  of  the  soldiers  of  the  North  would  strike 
from  their  limbs  the  shackles  they  had  worn  so  long. 
In  the  after  years  of  this  bloody  struggle,  many  deeds 
of  self-sacrifice  were  performed  by  these  slaves,  when, 
resisting  the  dazzling  opportunities  to  obtain  their 
coveted  liberty,  they  cast  their  lot  with  the  families  of 
their  old  masters,  whose  male  members  were  fighting 
to  continue  their  bondage.  Many  cases  could  be 
cited  where,  but  for  the  faithful  labors  and  devotion 


BA  CK     TO     CJNCINNA  TI.  1 89 

of  the  despised  slave,  the  families  of  many  of  the 
proud  aristocrats  would  have  starved.  But  the  faith- 
ful heart  of  the  negro  ever  beat  warmly  for  those 
whom  he  had  served  so  long,  and  disregarding  the 
tempting  allurements  of  freedom,  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  service  and  to  the  maintenance  of  those  who 
had  regarded  him  as  so  much  merchandise,  or  simply 
as  a  beast  of  burden. 

At  Bowling  Green  I  purchased  a  splendid  bay 
horse,  whose  swiftness  and  powers  of  endurance  I  felt 
assured  could  be  relied  upon,  intending  to  make  the 
rest  of  my  journey  on  horseback.  By  this  means  I 
would  be  the  better  able  to  control  my  movements 
than  if  I  were  compelled  to  depend  upon  the  rail- 
roads for  transportation.  I  would  also  be  enabled  to 
stop  at  any  place  where  I  might  find  the  necessity,  or 
a  favorable  opportunity  for  observation.  I  had  no 
cause  to  regret  the  purchase  I  had  made,  for  right 
nobly  did  the  spirited  animal  which  I  had  selected 
perform  the  arduous  duties  that  were  imposed  upon 
him.  Day  after  day  he  would  be  urged  forward,  and 
under  his  flying  feet  the  distance  sped  away  almost 
imperceptibly,  and  each  morning  found  my  charger 
rested  and  refreshed,  and  ready  for  the  day's  journey, 
be  the  weather  fair  or  foul,  or  the  roads  easy  or 
rugged. 

I  reached  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in  due  season,  and 
resolved  to  devote  several  days  to  my  investigations. 
Here  the  disunion  element  was  more  united  and  out- 


i go  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

spoken,  but  even  here,  I  detected  evidences  of  a 
Union  sentiment  which  was  none  the  less  profound, 
because  of  the  danger  which  its  utterances  would 
have  incurred.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  this 
State  had  resolved  to  cast  her  fortunes  with  the  con- 
federacy, and  the  rebel  General  Pillow  had  been  for 
some  time  engaged  in  fortifying  the  city  of  Memphis. 
At  Nashville  I  met  a  number  of  officers  of  the  rebel 
army,  all  of  whom  were  full  of  enthusiasm,  and  whose 
bombastic  utterances  in  view  of  the  eventual  results, 
seem  at  this  time  almost  too  absurd  to  be  repeated. 
Here  also  I  came  in  contact  with  an  army  surgeon, 
whose  head  was  full  of  wild  Quixotic  schemes  for  de- 
stroying the  Northern  armies  by  other  processes  than 
that  of  legitimate  warfare.  One  of  his  plans  I 
remember  was  to  fill  a  commissary  wagon  with 
whisky,  in  which  had  been  previously  mixed  a  gen- 
erous quantity  of  strychnine.  The  wagon  was  then 
to  be  broken  and  abandoned  and  left  upon  the  road 
so  as  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Union  soldiers. 
Of  course,  the  liquor  would  be  consumed  by  the 
finders,  and  the  valiant  Doctor,  with  evident  satisfac- 
tion to  himself,  but  to  the  equally  evident  disgust  of 
his  companions,  loudly  vaunted  his  death-dealing  and 
barbarous  scheme.  This  brave  warrior,  however,  I 
learned  afterward,  had  fled  in  terror  at  the  first  fire, 
and  was  afterwards  dishonorably  dismissed  from  the 
service  he  was  so  well  calculated  to  disgrace.  So  far 
as  I  was  afterward  able  to  learn,  this  grand  project 


SACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  191 

for  wholesale  slaughter,  of  the  valorous  Doctor, 
received  no  sympathy  or  support  from  his  more  hon- 
orable associates,  and  the  soldiers  were  enabled  to 
drink  their  whiskey  untainted  with  any  other  poison- 
ous influences  than  is  naturally  a  part  of  its  composi- 
tion. 

Leaving  Nashville,  I  spurred  on  in  the  direction  of 
Memphis,  and  in  due  time  reached  the  city,  which  now 
presented  a  far  different  aspect  than  when  I  visited 
it  only  a  few  years  before.  Then  the  country  was  at 
peace.  The  war  cloud  had  not  burst  with  all  its  fury 
over  a  happy  land,  and  the  people  were  quietly  pur- 
suing their  avocations.  I  was  engaged  in  a  detec- 
tive operation  which  required  my  presence  in  the 
city,  and  had  been  in  consultation  with  some  of  the 
express  company's  officials,  for  whom  I  was  attempt- 
ing to  discover  the  perpetrators  of  a  robbery  of  one 
of  their  safes.  Turning  a  corner  I  came  upon  a  scene 
that  stirred  my  feelings  to  the  utmost. 

It  was  the  market  square,  and  the  merchandise 
disposed  of  were  human  beings.  There  was  the 
auction-block  and  the  slave-pen.  Men,  women  and 
children  were  being  knocked  down  to  the  highest 
bidder.  Wives  were  sold  away  from  their  husbands, 
and  children  from  their  parents.  Old  and  young 
were  submitted  to  the  vulgar  speculators  in  flesh  and 
blood,  and  their  value  was  approximated  by  their 
apparent  age,  strength  and  healthfulness.  My  blood 
boiled  in  my  veins  as  I  witnessed,  for  the  first  time, 


1 92  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

the  heart-rendering  scenes  which  I  had  only  heard  or 
read  of  before.  The  cold  cruelty  of  the  buyers  and 
abject  misery  of  the  sold,  filled  me  with  a  spirit  of 
opposition  to  this  vile  traffic  that  gave  me  renewed 
strength  to  fulfill  my  duty  as  an  active  abolitionist, 
and  to  labor  earnestly  in  the  cause  of  emancipation. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  events  of  that  day,  and  I 
can  recall  the  feeling  of  intense  satisfaction  which 
I  experienced  on  my  second  visit,  when  even  then,  I 
could  see  the  dawning  of  that  liberty  for  which  I  had 
labored,  and  I  knew  that  the  day  of  emancipation 
could  not  be  far  distant.  Then  the  fair  fame  of  in- 
dependent America  would  no  longer  be  blackened  by 
the  pressure  of  the  slave  or  the  master,  but  all  men 
under  the  protection  of  the  starry  banner  would  be 
free  and  equal  under  the  law. 

Now  the  streets  were  filled  with  soldiers,  some 
of  them  fully  armed  and  equipped,  and  others  pro- 
vided with  but  ordinary  clothing,  and  furnished  with 
such  inefficient  arms  as  they  had  brought  with  them 
from  their  homes.  A  most  motley  gathering  they 
were,  and  their  awkward  and  irregular  evolutions  at 
this  time  gave  but  little  promise  of  the  splendid  army 
of  which  they  were  destined  in  the  near  future  to 
form  so  important  a  part.  The  work  of  fortifying 
the  city  had  been  progressing  in  earnest ;  earthworks 
had  been  thrown  up  all  along  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  batteries  were  already  in  position, 
whose  guns  frowned  threateningly  upon  the  river. 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  193 

Here  to  be  known  or  suspected  as  a  Union  man 
was  to  merit  certain  death,  and  to  advocate  any 
theory  of  compromise  between  the  two  sections  was 
to  be  exiled  from  the  city.  Here  rebeldom  was  ram- 
pant and  defiant,  and  I  had  some  difficulty  in  evading 
the  suspicions  of  the  watchful  and  alert  Southron, 
who  regarded  all  strange  civilians  with  doubtful 
scrutiny,  and  whose  "  committee  of  safety "  were 
ever  on  the  qui  vive  to  detect  those  whose  actions 
savored  in  the  least  of  a  leaning  towards  the  North. 
Fearlessly,  however,  I  mingled  with  these  men,  and 
as  I  lost  no  opportunity  in  pronouncing  my  views 
upon  the  righteousness  of  the  cause  of  secession,  <and 
of  my  belief  in  its  certain  triumph,  I  obtained  a  ready 
passport  to  the  favor  and  confidence  of  the  most 
prominent  of  their  leaders.  I  talked  unreservedly 
with  the  private  soldier  and  the  general  officer,  with 
the  merchant  and  the  citizen,  and  by  all  was  regarded 
as  a  stanch  Southern  man,  whose  interests  and  sym- 
pathies were  wedded  to  rebellion. 

General  Pillow  was  in  command  at  this  point,  and 
almost  every  citizen  was  enrolled  as  a  soldier,  whose 
services  would  be  cheerfully  and  promptly  rendered: 
whenever  the  call  should  be  made  upon  them. 

Even  this  redoubtable  chieftain  was  not  proof 
against  my  blandishments,  and  he  little  dreamed; 
when  on  one  occasion  he  quietly  sipped  his  brandy 
and  water  with  me,  that  he  was  giving  valuable 
information  to  his  sworn  foe,  and  one  to  whom  every 
13 


i94  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

idea  gained  was  an  advantage  to  the  government  he 
was  attempting  to  destroy. 

It  is  needless  to  relate  the  valuable  items  of 
information  which  I  was  enabled  to  glean  upon  this 
journey — information  which  in  later  days  was  of  vast 
importance  to  the  Union  commanders,  but  which  at 
this  time  would  only  burden  a  narrative  of  the  events 
which  they  so  ably  assisted  to  successful  results. 

Here,  as  in  many  other  places,  I  found  that  my 
best  source  of  information  was  the  colored  men,  who 
were  employed  in  various  capacities  of  a  military 
nature  which  entailed  hard  labor.  The  slaves,  with- 
out reserve,  were  sent  by  their  masters  to  perform 
the  manual  labor  of  building  earthworks  and  fortifica- 
tions, in  driving  the  teams  and  in  transporting  cannon 
and  ammunition,  and,  led  by  my  natural  and  deep- 
seated  regard  for  these  sable  bonsmen,  I  mingled 
freely  with  them,  and  found  them  ever  ready  to 
answer  questions  and  to  furnish  me  with  every  fact 
which  I  desired  to  possess.  . 

Here  and  there  I  found  an  unassuming  white 
man  whose  heart  was  still  with  the  cause  of  the 
Union,  but  whose  active  sympathy  could  not  at 
this  time  be  of  service  to  the  country,  as  he  dared 
not  utter  a  voice  in  defense  of  his  opinions.  From 
all  these  sources,  however,  I  was  successful  in  post- 
ing myself  fully  in  regard  to  the  movements  and  in- 
tentions of  the  rebel  authorities  and  officers,  and,  as  I 
believed,  had  also  succeeded  in  concealing  my  identity. 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  195- 

On  the  third  evening  of  my  sojourn  in  Memphis, 
however,  my  dreams  of  fancied  security  were  sudden- 
ly dispelled,  and  I  was  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
reality  of  danger. 

I  had  retired  early  to  my  room,  according  to  my 
general  custom,  and  had  scarcely  been  seated  when 
I  was  disturbed  by  a  faint  but  quick  and  distinct 
knocking  at  my  door.  I  arose  hastily,  as  it  was  some- 
thing unusual  for  me  to  receive  visitors 'after  I  had 
retired,  and  throwing  open  the  door,  I  was  somewhat 
surprised  to  see,  standing  before  me,  in  a  state  of  un- 
mistakable excitement,  the  colored  porter  of  the  hotel. 

Before  I  had  time  to  question  him,  he  sprang  into 
the  room  and  closed  the  door  behind  him.  His 
countenance  evinced  a  degree  of  terror  that  imme- 
diately filled  me  with  alarm.  His  eyes  were  fixed 
wildly  upon  me,  his  lips  were  quivering,  and  his 
knees  trembled  under  him,  as  though  unable  to  sus- 
tain the  weight  of  his  body.  Indeed,  so  frightened 
was  he,  that  he  appeared  to  be  struggling  forcibly  to 
do  so. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Jem  ?"  I  inquired,  in  as 
calm  a  tone  as  I  could  assume,  and  with  a  view  of  re- 
assuring him.  "  What  has  happened  to  frighten  you 
so?" 

"  'Fore  God,  Massa  Allen,"  ejaculated  the  black, 
succeeding  by  a  great  effort  in  finding  his  voice,  "you 
done  can't  sleep  in  this  housn  to-night,  ef  ye  do,  ye'll 
be  a  dead  man  before  morning." 


i96  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

As  may  be  imagined,  this  information  was  not  of 
a  very  agreeable  nature,  indefinite  as  it  was ;  I  felt 
assured  that  my  informant  could  be  relied  on  that 
something  had  occurred  to  endanger  my  safety,  and 
I  became  impatient  to  learn  what  he  knew. 

"Out  with  it,  Jem,"  said  I,  "and  let  me  know 
what  it  is  all  about."  I  spoke  cheerfully  and  con- 
fidently, and  the  coolness  of  my  manner  had  the 
effect  of  restoring  the  equilibrium  of  my  sable  friend, 
and,  recovering  himself  with  an  effort,  he  began  to 
explain  : 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Massa  Allen,  and  Fse  gwan 
to'  tell  it  mighty  quick.  Ye  see,  de  General  hab  got 
a  lot  of  spies  up  de  river  at  Cairo,  a  watching  of  the 
Linkum  sogers,  and  one  o'  dem  fellows  jes  came  in 
as  you  were  going  up  stairs.  De  berry  minit  dat  he 
seed  you  he  said  to  de  man  what  was  wid  him,  '  Dat 
man  is  'spicious ;  I  seed,  him  in  Cincinnati  two  weeks 
ago,  and  he  ain't  down  here  for  no  good,'  and  he 
started  right  off  for  de  General,  to  tell  him  all  about 
it.  I  kem  right  up  heah,  massa,  and  you  must  git 
away  as  fast  as  ye  can." 

This  was  too  important  to  be  ignored.  I  had  no 
desire  to  be  captured  at  that  time,  and  I  had  no 
doubt  of  the  correctness  of  the  porter's  story.  I  re- 
solved to  acf  at  once  upon  the  suggestion,  and  to 
make  good  my  escape  before  it  was  too  late.  My 
admonitory  friend  was  fearfully  in  earnest  about  get- 
ting me  away,  and  he  quickly  volunteered  to  procure 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  197 

my  horse,  which  I  had  quartered  in  close  proximity 
to  the  hotel,  and  to  furnish  me  with  a  guide  who 
would  see  me  safely  through  the  lines  and  outside  of 
the  city.  Bidding  Jem  make  all  possible  haste  in  his 
movements,  I  gathered  together  my  few  belongings, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  I  descended  the  stairs  and 
made  my  exit  through  the  rear  of  the  house. 
Through  the  faithfulness  of  Jem,  and  the  careful 
guidance  of  the  watchful  negro  he  had  provided  me 
with,  I  was  soon  riding  away  from  threatened  danger 
and  ere  morning  broke  I  had  proceeded  far  upon  my 
way.  How  much  service  these  faithful  blacks  had 
been  to  me,  I  did  not  fully  learn  until  some  time 
afterwards,  when  I  was  informed  by  Timothy  Web- 
ster, who  arrived  in  Memphis  following  my  departure, 
and  who  thus  learned  the  full  particulars  of  the  ex- 
hausting pursuit  of  one  of  Lincoln's  spies,  who  had 
mysteriously  disappeared  from  the  chief  hotel,  while 
a  guard  was  being  detailed  to  effect  his  arrest. 

I  met  the  faithful  Jem  several  years  later,  when 
he  had  worked  his  way  as  a  refugee  from  his  native 
State  and  entered  the  Union  lines  in  Virginia,  and  he 
was  soon  afterwards  attached  to  my  force,  where  he 
proved  his  devotion  in  a  manner  that  was  quite  con- 
vincing. My  faithful  steed,  who  had  become  thor- 
oughly rested  after  his  long  journey,  bore  me  safely 
through  this  danger,  and  in  due  time  I  entered  the 
State  of  Mississippi.  Here  rebellion  and  disunion 
were  the  order  of  the  day,  and  a  wide-spread  deter- 


198  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

mination  existed  to  fight  the  cause  of  the  South  to 
the  bitter  end.  Stopping  one  night  at  Grenada,  I 
pushed  on  my  way  to  Jackson,  and  here  I  resolved  to 
remain  a  'day  or  two,  in  order  to  make  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation of  the  place  and  its  surroundings. 

Putting  up  my  horse,  I  engaged  quarters  for  my- 
self at  the  principal  hotel  in  the  city,  and  feeling  very 
much  fatigued  with  my  long  journey,  I  retired  early  to 
my  room  and  passed  a  long  night  in  refreshing  sleep. 

In  the  morning  I  arose  about  five  o'clock,  as  is 
my  general  custom.  I  was  feeling  in  excellent  health 
and  spirits ;  my  journey  had  thus  far  been  fully  as 
successful  as  I  could  have  desired  ;  and  safely  con- 
cealed about  my  person  I  had  items  of  value  that 
would  amply  repay  me  for  the  fatigues  I  had  under- 
gone and  the  dangers  I  had  passed.  I  had  plans  of 
the  roads,  a  description  of  the  country,  a  pretty  cor- 
rect estimate  of  the  troops  and  their  various  locations 
and  conditions,  and  altogether  I  felt  very  well  satis- 
fied with  myself  and  with  the  results  of  my  mission. 

As  I  descended  the  stairs,  I  noticed  a  fine  sol- 
dierly officer  standing  in  the  doorway,  and  after  bid- 
ding him  a  hearty  good-morning,  I  invited  him  to 
accompany  me  to  the  saloon  of  the  hotel,  where  we 
mutually  indulged  in  a  decoction  as  is  the  universal 
custom  in  Southern  cities.  After  I  had  obtained  my 
breakfast,  it  occurred  to  me  that,  before  attempting 
any  active  measures  for  the  day,  I  owed  it  to  myself 
to  procure  the  services  of  a  barber  for  a  much-needed 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  199 

shave.  I  had  been  traveling  for  a  number  of  days, 
and  my  face  had  been  a  stranger  to  a  razor  for  a  long 
time,  and  I  concluded  I  would  be  more  presentable 
if  I  consulted  a  tonsorial  artist. 

This  was  an  unfortunate  idea,  and  I  soon  had 
occasion  to  regret  having  entertained  it  for  a  mo- 
ment. I  would  have  been  far  more  contented  if  I 
had  bestowed  no  thoughts  upon  my  grizzled  beard, 
and  allowed  nature  to  take  its  course  with  my  hirsute 
appendage. 

Entirely  unconscious,  however,  of  what  was  in 
store  for  me,  I  entered  the  well-fitted  saloon  of  the 
hotel,  and  patiently  waited  my  turn  to  submit  myself 
to  the  deft  fingers  of  the  knight  of  the  razor. 

In  response  to  the  universal  and  well-understood 
call  of  "next!"  I  took  my  seat  in  the  luxuriously 
upholstered  chair,  and  in  a  few  minutes  my  face  was 
covered  with  the  foamy  lather  applied  by  the  dap- 
per little  German  into  whose  hands  I  had  fallen. 

I  noticed  when  I  sat  down  that  the  man  wore  a 
puzzled  and  speculative  look,  as  though  he  was  strug- 
gling with  some  vexing  lapse  of  memory,  and  as  he 
drew  the  keen  edge  of  the  razor  across  my  face,  his 
eyes  were  fixed  intensely  upon  my  features.  His 
manner  annoyed  me  considerably,  and  I  was  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  his  strange  demeanor.  Whatever 
ideas  I  may  have  entertained  with  regard  to  this  sin- 
gular action  were,  however,  soon  set  at  rest,  only  to 
give  place  to  a  feeling  of  unrestful  anger. 


200  TO     THE    SOUTH    AND 

He  had  just  cleared  one  side  of  my  face  of  its 
stubby  growth  of  hair,  when  a  smile  irradiated  his 
face,  and  with  a  look  of  self-satisfied  recognition  and 
pride,  he  addressed  me  : 

"  Vy,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Bingerdon  ?" 

Had  a  thunderbolt  fallen  at  my  feet  I  could  not 
have  been  more  perfectly  amazed,  and  for  a  moment 
I  could  scarcely  tell  whether  I  was  afoot  or  on 
horseback.  I  devoutly  wished  that  I  was  anywhere 
than  with  this  Dutch  barber,  whose  memory  was  so 
uncomfortably  retentive. 

I  had  been  too  accustomed  to  sudden  surprises, 
however,  to  lose  my  self-control,  and  I  replied  to 
him,  with  an  unmoved  face  and  as  stern  a  voice  as  I 
could  command: 

"  I  am  not  Mr.  Bingerdon,  and  I  don't  know  the 
man." 

"  Oh  yes,  your  name  is  Bingerdon,  and  you  leev 
in  Geecago." 

The  face  of  the  German  was  so  good-natured, 
and  he  appeared  quite  delighted  at  recognizing  me, 
but  for  myself  I  was  feeling  very  uncomfortable  in- 
deed. I  did  not  know  the  man,  nor  what  he  knew 
of  me.  I  knew,  however,  that  he  was  perfectly  right 
about  my  identity,  and  I  knew  also  that  it  would  be 
very  dangerous  for  his  knowledge  to  become  general. 

"  I  tell  you  I  don't  know  the  man  you  are  speak- 
ing of,"  said  I,  sternly. 

"  Oy,   Mr.  Bingerdon,"   he  replied,  in  a  grieved 


BACK     TO     CINCINNATI.  201 

tone,  "  I  know  you  well.  Don't  you  mind  me  shav- 
ing you  in  the  Sherman  House  in  Geecago,  you  was 
a  customer  of  mine." 

The  pertinacity  of  the  man  was  simply  exasperat- 
ing, and  fearing  that  his  memory  would  be  likely  to 
get  me  into  trouble,  as  several  people  were  listening 
to  our  conversation,  J  resolved  to  end  the  difficulty 
at  once.  Jerking  the  towel  from  around  my  neck  and 
wiping  the  lather  from  the  unshaved  portion  of  my 
face,  I  leapt  from  the  chair,  exclaiming  angrily  : 

"  I  tell  you  I  know  nothing  of  you  Mr.  Bingerdon, 
or  any  other  d — d  Yankee  abolitionist,  and  if  you  say 
another  word  to  me  upon  this  subject,  I'll  whip  you 
on  the  spot !" 

The  barber  presented  a  most  ridiculous  appear- 
ance ;  he  was  utterly  frightened  at  my  manner,  and 
yet  so  convinced  was  he  that  I  was  the  man  he  took 
me  for,  that  he  appeared  more  amazed  at  my  denial, 
than  at  my  threats  of  violence. 

Meanwhile,  the  occupants  of  the  saloon  began  to 
crowd  around  us,  and  several  came  in  from  the 
adjoining  rooms.  Turning  to  them  with  well-simu- 
lated anger,  I  told  them  the  story  I  had  invented;  I 
lived  near  Augusta,  Georgia ;  never  was  in  Chicago, 
did  not  know  Mr.  Pinkerton  or  any  of  his  gang. 
Then  I  denounced  the  discomfited  barber  in  round 
terms,  and  finished  by  inviting  the  entire  crowd  to 
take  a  drink  with  me. 

This  they  all  did  with  alacrity,  and  by  the  time 


202  A     TRIP     TO     THE    SO  UTH. 

they  had  drained  their  glasses,  every  one  of  the  party 
were  strong  adherents  of  mine.  We  then  returned 
to  the  barber-shop,  and  so  thoroughly  was  the  crowd 
convinced  of  my  truthfulness,  that  they  were  eager  to 
punish  the  innocent  occasion  of  my  anger.  One  im- 
petuous individual  wanted  to  hang  him  on  sight,  and 
his  proposition  was  received  with  general  favor;  but 
finding  I  had  succeeded  in  evading  detection  for  my- 
self, I  interfered  in  the  poor  fellow's  behalf  and  he 
was  finally  let  off. 

After  another  drink  all  round  I  managed  to  get 
away  from  the  party,  and  it  was  not  long  before  I 
was  upon  my  horse,  and  traveling  away  from  the 
possibility  of  a  recurrence  of  such  an  accidental  dis- 
covery. I  procured  a  razor  and  shaving  materials, 
and  performed  that  operation  for  myself,  as  I  did  not 
care  to  excite  curiosity  by  exhibiting  my  half-shaved 
face  to  any  more  inquisitive  barbers. 

A  few  miles  outside  of  the  town  I  sold  my  horse, 
and  concluding  that  I  had  obtained  as  much  informa- 
tion as  was  desirable  at  that  time,  and  as  I  had 
already  been  absent  from  head-quarters  longer  than 
I  had  intended,  I  made  my  way  back  to  Cincinnati 
by  a  circuitous  route,  and  reached  there  in  safety, 
well  pleased  with  my  work,  and  quite  rejoiced  to  find 
that  General  McClellan.was  fully  satisfied  with  what 
I  had  learned 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

East  and  West  Virginia. — Seceding  from  Secession. — My 
Scouts  in  Virginia. — A  Rebel  Captain  Entertains  "  My 
Lord'' — An  old  Justice  Dines  with  Royalty. — A  Lucky 
Adventure. — A  Runaway  Horse. — A  Rescue. 

A   this  time  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  State 
of  Virginia — the  "  Old   Dominion,"  as  it  was 
generally  denominated — presented  a  most  perplexing 
and  vexatious  problem.     The  antagonistic  position  of 
the  two  sections   of  that  state  demanded  early  con- 
sideration  and    prompt   action   on   the  part    of   the 
Federal   Government,   both  in  protecting  the  loyal 
people   in    the   Western  section,  and   of   preserving 
their    territbry   to   the   Union   cause.       Within   the 
borders   of    this    commonwealth    there    existed   two 
elements,  directly  opposed  to  each  other,   and  both 
equally  pronounced  in  the  declaration  of  their  political 
opinions.      The  lines  of  demarkation  between  these 
diverse  communities  were  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
which  extended  through  the  very  middle  of  the  state, 
from  north-east  to  south-west,  and  divided  her  terri- 
tory into  two  divisions,  slightly  unequal  in  size,  but 
evidently    different    in    topographical    features   and 
personal  characteristics. 

[203] 


204  A     REBEL     CAPTAIN 

From  the  nature  of  its  earlier  settlement,  and  by 
reason  of  climate,  soil  and  situation,  Eastern  Virginia 
remained  the  region  of  large  plantations,  with  a  heavy 
slave  population,  and  of  profitable  agriculture, 
especially  in  the  production  of  tobacco.  West 
Virginia,  on  the  contrary,  having  been  first  settled 
by  hunters,  pioneers,  lumbermen  and  miners,  pos- 
sessed little  in  common  with  her  more  wealthy  and 
aristocratic  neighbors  beyond  the  mountains.  They 
made  their  homes  in  the  wilds  of  the  woods,  and 
among  the  rocky  formations,  under  which  was  hidden 
the  wealth  they  were  seeking  to  develop,  and  in  time 
this  western  country  became  the  seat  of  a  busy  manu- 
facturing industry,  with  a  diversified  agriculture  for 
local  consumption,  while  the  east  was  largely  given 
up  to  the  production  of  great  staples  for  export.  As 
a  natural  result,  the  population  and  wealth  of  the 
eastern  portion,  which  was  thus  made  to  stand  in  the 
relation  of  a  mere  tributary  province  to  her  grasping 
neighbor,  who  selfishly  absorbed  the  general  taxes 
for  local  advantage. 

The  slave  interest  also  entered  largely  into  the 
creation  and  continuance  of  this  antagonistic  feeling. 
According  to  a  census,  which  had  been  recently 
taken,  it  was  ascertained  that  Eastern  Virginia  held 
but  a  few  thousands.  It  was  not  a  matter  of  surprise, 
therefore,  that  secessionism  should  be  rampant  in  the 
east,  and  that  a  Union  sentiment  should  almost 
universally  prevail  in  the  west  As  the  institution 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  205 

of  slavery  was  more  or  less  the  cause  of  the  war,  here, 
as  in  other  parts  of  the  South,  secession  reared  its 
most  formidable  front  where  the  slave  interest  pre- 
dominated, and  treason  was  more  alert  in  the  centers 
of  accumulated  wealth  and  family  pride,  whose  foun- 
dations were  laid  by  the  suffering  and  the  toil  of  the 
African  bondsmen.  The  war  had  been  waged  to 
defend  the  "  Divine  institution,"  and  it  was  scarcely 
to  be  expected  that  such  a  cause  would  be  valiantly 
championed  by  men  whose  self-reliance  and  personal 
independence  had  endeared  to  them  the  rights  of 
free  and  honorable  manhood. 

When  the  Convention  of  Virginia  met  to  consider 
the  question  of  secession,  the  slave-holding  dignita- 
ries were  somewhat  startled  by  the  logical,  but  novel, 
declaration  of  one  of  the  western  members,  that  "  the 
right  of  revolution  can  be  exercised  as  well  by  a  por- 
tion of  the  citizens  of  a  State  against  their  State  gov- 
ernment, as  it  can  be  exercised  by  the  whole  people 
of  a  State  against  their  Federal  Government."  This 
was  followed  by  another,  more  pointed  and  revolution- 
ary, "  that  any  change  in  the  relation  Virginia  now 
sustains  to  the  Federal  .Government,  against  the 
wishes  of  even  a  respectable  minority  of  her  people, 
would  be  sufficient  to  justify  them  in  changing  their 
relation  to  the  State  government  by  separating  them- 
selves from  that  section  of  the  State  that  had  thus 
wantonly  disregarded  their  interests  and  defied  their 
will." 


206  A     REBEL     CAPTAIN 

The  convention,  however,  denying  the  pertinency 
of  this  logic,  passed  its  secret  ordinance  of  secession 
on  the  1 7th  day  of  April,  and  within  a  week  popular 
movements  were  on  foot  in  the  various  towns  and 
counties  of  Western  Virginia,  to  effect  a  division 
of  the  State.  The  people  united  in  a  unanimous  pro- 
test against  the  efforts  of  the  slave-holding  aristocrats 
to  carry  them  into  a  cotton  confederacy,  and  a  deter- 
mination to  "  secede  from  secession,"  was  manifested 
everywhere.  The  loyal  determination  was  rapidly 
followed  by  popular  organization,  an  appeal  for  as- 
sistance was  made  to  the  government  at  Washington, 
who  promised  them  countenance  and  support,  and  on 
the  1 3th  day  of  May,  delegates  from  twenty -five 
counties  of  West  Virginia  met  at  Wheeling,  to  devise 
such  action  as  would  enable  them  to  fully  and  finally 
repudiate  the  treasonable  revolt  of  East  Virginia. 

Many  circumstances  favored  their  position.  The 
state  of  Ohio,  immediately  adjoining,  was  organizing 
her  military  force  of  volunteers,  and  Western  Virginia 
was,  not  long  after,  attached  to  the  department  of  the 
Ohio  under  command  of  General  McClellan.  The 
blockade  of  Washington,  and  other  events,  had  oper- 
ated to  keep  the  Western  troops  on  the  Ohio  line, 
and  the  Unionists  of  West  Virginia  found  a  protect- 
ing military  force  at  once  in  their  immediate  vicinity, 
with  a  commanding  officer  who  was  instructed  to 
give  them  every  encouragement  and  support. 

Meanwhile,  Governor  Letcher,  of  Virginia,  ignor- 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  207 

ing  the  attitude  assumed  by  the  people  of  the  West, 
had  issued  his  proclamation  calling  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  state  militia,  and  including  Western  Vir- 
ginia in  the  call.  Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  arrogance 
or  over-confidence,  he  at  an  early  day  dispatched  of- 
ficers to  that  locality  to  collect  and  organize  the  mili- 
tia of  Western  Virginia.  Owing  to  the  sparsity  of 
the  population,  and  the  hilly  and  mountainous  situa- 
tion of  the  country,  there  were  but  two  principal 
localities  or  lines  of  travel,  where  a  concentration  of 
forces  could  be  best  effected — one  of  these  being  the 
line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  the 
other  the  valley  of  the  Great  Kanawha  river.  In 
these  districts  Governor  Letcher  sent  his  recruiting 
agents,  but  they  soon  returned  reports  of  a  very  dis- 
couraging character.  The  rebel  emissaries  found 
the  feeling  very  bitter  :  that  Union  organizations  ex- 
isted in  most  of  the  counties,  and  that  while  fracr- 

o  • 

ments  of  rebel  companies  were  here  and  there  spring- 
ing up,  it  was  very  evident  that  no  local  force  suffi- 
cient to  hold  the  country,  would  respond  to  the  Con- 
federate appeal,  while  the  close  proximity  of  Union 
forces  at  several  points  along  the  Ohio,  pointed  to  a 
short  tenure  of  Confederate  authority. 

This  information  was  not  at  all  cheering  to  the 
rebel  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he  determined  to 
maintain  his  authority  in  the  disaffected  districts  with 
armed  forces  from  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State. ' 
To  accomplish  this,  he  detailed  a  few  available  com- 


208  A     REBEL     CAPTAIN 

panies  from  Staunton  to  march  toward  Beverly,  from 
which  point  they  could  menace  and  overawe  the  town 
of  Grafton,  the  juncti.on  of  the  main  stem  of  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  with  its  branches  ex- 
tending to  Parkersburg  and  Wheeling.  The  inhabit- 
ants showed  more  alacrity,  however,  to  take  up  arms 
for  the  government  than  for  Governor  Letcher  or 
General  Lee.  A  Union  Western  Virginia  regiment, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Kelley,  began  to 
gather  recruits  rapidly  at  Wheeling,  while  the  rebel 
camps  between  Beverly  and  Grafton  were  compara- 
tively deserted,  and  Colonel  Porterfield,  who  had 
been  sent  under  orders  of  Governor  Letcher,  found 
his  efforts  at  recruiting  decidedly  unsuccessful. 

On  the  23d  day  of  May  the  State  voted  upon  the 
ordinance  of  secession,  and  East  Virginia,  under 
complete  military  domination,  accepted  the  ordinance, 
while  West  Virginia,  comparatively  free,  voted  to  re- 
ject the  idea  of  secession. 

Immediately  after  the  result  was  ascertained,  the 
rebel  troops  became  aggressive,  and  Colonel  Porter- 
field  dispatched  several  of  his  companies  to  burn  the 
bridge  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

The  appearance  of  these  troops  was  quickly  brought 
to  the  notice  of  the  Federal  authorities  at  Washing- 
ton. On  the  24th  day  of  May  the  Secretary  of  War 
and  General  Scott  telegraphed  this  information  to 
General  McClellan,  and  inquired  "whether  its  influ- 
ence could  not  be  counteracted."  General  McClellan 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  209 

at  once  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  this  was  the 
sole  order  he  received  from  Washington  regarding  a 
campaign  in  Virginia. 

On  the  26th,  the  General  ordered  two  regiments 
to  cross  the  river  at  Wheeling,  and  two  others  at 
Parkersburg.  They  were  to  move  forward  simul- 
taneously by  the  branch  railroads  from  each  of  these 
points  to  their  junction  at  Grafton.  The  burnt  bridges 
were  restored  in  their  passage,  and  after  a  most  bril- 
liant strategic  movement,  Porterfield  was  completely 
surprised,  and  the  rebels  were  forced  to  disperse,  in 
utter  rout  and  confusion. 

This  complete  success  of  the  first  dash  at  the 
enemy  had  the  most  inspiriting  effect  upon  the 
Union  troops,  and  also  encouraged  and  fortified  the 
Western  Virginia  unionists,  in  their  determination 
to  break  away  from  the  East  and  to  form  a  new 
State.  This  movement  was  successfully  accomplished, 
and  early  in  July  they  elected  two  United  States 
senators,  who  were  admitted  to,  and  took  part  in  the 
national  legislature. 

Governor  Pierpont,  who  was  head  of  this  provis- 
ional State  government,  organized  at  Wheeling,  made 
a  formal  application  to  the  United  States  for  aid  to 
suppress  the  rebellion  and  protect  the  people  against 
domestic  violence.  General  McClellan,  in  furtherance 
of  this  object,  ordered  additional  forces  into  the  State 
from  his  department 

In  order  to  act  intelligently  in  the  matter,  it  was 
14 


210  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

necessary  that  some  definite  information  should  be 
derived  respecting  the  country  which  was  now  to  be 
protected,  and  from  which  it  was  necessary  the  invad- 
ing rebels  should  be  driven.  For  this  purpose  the 
General  desired  that  I  should  dispatch  several  of  my 
men,  who,  by  assuming  various  and  unsuspicious 
characters,  would  be  able  to  travel  over  the  country, 
obtain  a  correct  idea  of  its  topography,  ascertain  the 
exact  position  and  designs  of  the  secessionists. 

For  this  duty  I  selected  a  man  named  Price 
Lewis,  who  had  just  returned  from  a  trip  to  the  South, 
and  whom  I  had  reason  to  be  satisfied  was  equal  to 
the  task.  I  resolved,  therefore,  that  he  should  be 
one  of  the  party  to  make  this  journey,  together  with 
several  others  who  were  delegated  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. In  order  to  afford  variety  to  the  professions 
of  my  operatives,  and  because  of  his  fitness  for  the 
character,  I  decided  that  Price  Lewis  should  repre- 
sent himself  as  an  Englishman  traveling  for  pleasure, 
believing  that  he  would  thus  escape  a  close  scrutiny 
or  a  rigid  examination,  should  he,  by  any  accident, 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels. 

Procuring  a  comfortable-looking  road-wagon  and 
a  pair  of  strong  gray  horses,  which  were  both  sub- 
stantial-looking and  good  roadsters,  I  stocked  the 
vehicle  with  such  articles  of  necessity  and  luxury  as 
would  enable  them  to  subsist  themselves  if  necessary, 
and  at  the  same  time  give  the  appearance  of  truth  to 
such  professions  as  the  sight-seeing  Englishman 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  211 

might  feel  authorized  to  make.  I  provided  him  also 
with  a  number  of  English  certificates  of  various  kinds, 
and  I  also  supplied  him  with  English  money  which 
could  be  readily  exchanged  for  such  currency  that 
would  best  suit  his  purposes  in  the  several  localities 
which  he  would  be  required  to  visit. 

Lewis  wore  a  full  beard,  and  this  was  trimmed  in 
the  most  approved  English  fashion,  and  when  fully 
equipped  for  his  journey  he  presented  the  appearance 
of  a  thorough  well-to-do  Englishman,  who  might 
even  be  suspected  of  having  "blue  blood"  in  his 
veins.  In  order  that  he  might  the  more  fully  sustain 
the  new  character  he  was  about  to  assume,  and  to 
give  an  added  dignity  to  his  position,  I  concluded  to 
send  with  him  a  member  of  my  force  who  would  act 
in  the  capacity  of  coachman,  groom  and  body  serv- 
ant, as  occasion  should  demand.  The  man  whom  I 
selected  for  this  role  was  a  jolly,  good-natured,  and 
fearless  Yankee  named  Samuel  Bridgeman,  a  quick, 
sharp-witted  young  man,  who  had  been  in  my  employ- 
ment some  time,  and  who  had  on  several  occasions 
proved  himself  worthy  of  trust  and  confidence  in  mat- 
ters that  required  tact  as  well  as  boldness,  and  good 
sense  as  well  as  keen  wit. 

Calling  Sam  into  my  office,  I  explained  to  him 
fully  the  nature  of  the  duties  he  would  be  required  to 
perform,  and  when  I  had  concluded  I  saw  by  the 
merry  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  and  from  the  readiness 
with  which  he  caught  at  my  suggestions,  that  he 


212  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

thoroughly  understood  and  had  decided  to  carry  out 
his  part  of  the  programme  to  the  very  letter. 

In  addition  to  these,  I  arranged  a  route  for  two 
other  men  of  my  force.  They  were  to  travel  through 
the  valley  of  the  Great  Kanawha  river,  and  to 
observe  carefully  everything  that  came  under  their 
notice,  which  might  be  of  importance  in  perfecting  a 
military  campaign,  in  case  the  rebels  should  attempt 
hostile  measures,  or  that  General  McClellan  might 
find  it  necessary  to  promptly  clear  that  portion  of 
Virginia  from  the  presence  of  secession  troops. 
These  two  men  were  to  travel  ostensibly  as  farm 
laborers,  and  their  verdant  appearance  was  made  to 
fully  conform  to  such  avocations. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  two  parties  were 
started,  and  we  will  follow  their  movements  separately, 
as  they  were  to  travel  by  different  routes. 

Price  Lewis,  the  pseudo  Englishman,  and  Sam 
Bridgeman,  who  made  quite  a  smart-looking  valet  in 
his  new  costume,  transferred  their  horses,  wagon  and 
stores  on  board  the  trim  little  steamer  "Cricket,"  at 
Cincinnati,  intending  to  travel  along  the  Ohio  River, 
and  effect  a  landing  at  Guyandotte,  in  Western  Vir- 
ginia, at  which  point  they  were  to  disembark  and 
pursue  their  journey  overland  through  the  country. 

I  accompanied  Lewis  to  the  wharf,  and  after 
everything  had  been  satisfactorily  arranged,  I  bade 
him  good-bye,  and  the  little  steamer  sailed  away  up 
the  river. 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  213 

There  were  the  usual  number  of  miscellaneous 
passengers  upon  the  boat,  and  added  to  these  were  a 
number  of  Union  officers,  who  had  been  dispatched 
upon  various  missions  throughout  that  portion  of  the 
State  of  Ohio.  These  men  left  the  steamer  as  their 
points  of  destination  were  reached,  and  after  they  had 
departed,  several  of  the  passengers  who  had  hitherto 
remained  silent,  became  very  talkative.  They  began 
in  a  cautious  manner  to  express  their  opinions,  with 
a  view  of  eliciting  some  knowledge  of  the  sympathies 
of  their  fellow-travelers  in  the  important  struggle 
that  was  now  impending.  Lewis  had  maintained  a 
quiet,  dignified  reserve,  which,  while  it  did  not  forbid 
any  friendly  approaches  from  his  fellow-passengers, 
at  the  same  time  rendered  them  more  respectful,  and 
prevented  undue  familiarity.  Sam  Bridgeman  con- 
tributed materially  to  this  result ;  his  deference  to 
"  my  lord "  was  very  natural,  and  the  respect  with 
which  he  received  his  commands  convinced  the 
passengers  at  once  that  the  English-looking  gentle- 
man was  a  man  of  some  importance. 

The  passengers  all  appeared  to  be  Union  men, 
and  while  they  expressed  their  regrets  that  the  war 
had  commenced,  they  regarded  their  separation  from 
Eastern  Virginia,  with  undisguised  satisfaction. 

At  midnight,  on  the  second  evening,  the  boat 
landed  at  Guyandette,  and  Samuel,  with  a  great  deal  of 
importance,  attended  to  the  transfer  of  his  master  and 
the  equipage  from  the  boat  to  the  wharf.  Here  they 


214  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

found  a  number  of  men  in  uniform,  who  were  ascer- 
tained to  be  representatives  of  the  "  Home  Guard," 
and  in  a  few  minutes  Bridgeman  had  secured  the  ser- 
vices of  two  of  them,  to  assist  him  in  safely  landing 
their  effects.  This  being  satisfactorily  accomplished, 
he,  apparently  in  a  sly  manner,  treated  them  to  a  drop 
of  good  whisky,  which  formed  part  of  the  stores  they 
had  been  provided  with.  Stopping  at  the  hotel  over 
night,  they  continued  their  journey  on  the  following 
morning.  They  drove  leisurely  along,  and  at  about 
ten  o'clock  they  stopped  at  a  farm-house  to  rest 
their  horses.  They  remained  here  until  nearly  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  conversing  with  the  old 
farmer,  who  seemed  to  be  much  pained  at  the  con- 
dition of  affairs,  but  who  had  two  sons  who  had 
joined  the  rebel  army.  They  renewed  their  journey 
in  the  afternoon,  and  in  about  two  hours  reached  the 
little  village  of  Colemouth,  where  there  was  a  rebel 
encampment.  On  passing  this  they  were  halted  by 
the  guard,  who  inquired  their  business  and  destination. 
Lewis  told  him  he  was  an  Englishman,  accompanied 
only  by  his  servant,  and  that  he  was  traveling  through 
the  country  for  pleasure.  The  guard  informed  them 
that  he  could  not  let  them  pass,  and  asked  Lewis  to 
go  with  him  to  the  Captain's  headquarters,  which  was 
located  in  a  large  stone  house,  a  few  hundred  yards 
distant.  My  operative  willingly  consented,  and  leav- 
ing Sam  in  charge  of  his  carriage,  he  accompanied 
the  soldier  to  the  officer's  quarters.  He  was  ushered 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  215 

into  a  large  and  well-furnished  apartment  on  the 
second  floor,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Captain  came 
in. 

He  greeted  my  operative  pleasantly,  and  informed 
him  that  he  regretted  the  necessity  of  detaining  him, 
but  orders  had  to  be  obeyed.  Lewis  related  in  sub- 
ssance  what  he  had  already  stated  to  the  guard,  which 
statement  the  Captain  unhesitatingly  received,  and 
after  a  pleasant  conversation,  he  invited  the  detective 
to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the  camp. 

An  English  gentleman  traveling  for  pleasure  was 
not  to  be  treated  with  discourtesy,  and  upon  Lewis' 
accepting  of  his  invitation,  a  soldier  was  dispatched 
to  bring  the  horses  and  carriage  and  their  impatient 
driver  into  camp. 

Supper  was  ordered,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Cap- 
tain and  his  guest  were  discussing  a  repast  which  was 
far  more  appetizing  than  soldiers'  fare  usually  is. 
During  the  meal  Sam  stood  behind  the  chair  of 
Lewis,  and  awaited  upon  him  in  the  most  approved 
fashion,  replying  invariably  with  a  deferential, 
"  Yes,  my  lord." 

After  full  justice  had  been  done  to  the  repast, 
Price  directed  Bridgeman  to  bring  in  from  the  car- 
riage a  couple  of  bottles  of  champagne,  and  by  the 
time  the  hour  of  retiring  had  arrived  the  detective 
had  succeeded  in  impressing  his  entertainer  with  a. 
very  exalted  opinion  of  his  rank  and  standing  when- 
at  home. 


216  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

Lewis,  being  an  Englishman  by  birth,  was  very 
well  posted  about  English  affairs,  and  he  entertained 
his  host  with  several  very  well  invented  anecdotes  of 
the  Crimea,  in  which  he  was  supposed  to  have  taken 
an  active  part,  and  his  intimacy  with  Lord  Raglan, 
the  commander  of  the  British  army,  gained  for  him 
the  unbounded  admiration  and  respect  of  the  doughty 
Captain. 

From  this  officer  Lewis  learned  that  there  were 
a  number  of  troops  in  Charleston,  but  a  few  miles 
distant,  and  that  General  Wise,  who  was  then  in 
command,  had  arrived  there  that  day. 

After  a  refreshing  sleep  and  a  bounteous  breakfast, 
Lewis  informed  the  Captain  that  he  would  continue 
his  journey  toward  Charleston,  and  endeavor  to  ob- 
tain an  interview  with  General  Wise.  The  Captain 
cordially  recommended  him  to  do  so,  and  furnished 
him  with  passports  which  would  carry  him  without 
question  or  delay  upon  the  road.  As  they  were 
about  taking  their  leave  the  Captain  put  into  Lewis' 
hands  an  unsealed  letter,  at  the  same  time  remarking 
with  great  earnestness : 

"  My  lord,  I  beg  of  you  to  accept  the  inclosed 
letter  of  introduction  to  General  Wise  ;  as  I  am  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  him,  this  letter  may  be  of 
some  service  to  you,  and  I  should  be  only  too  happy 
if  it  will  be  so." 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Lewis,  "but  you  have 
been  far  too  kind  already,  and  believe  me  I  shall 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  217 

always  recall  my  entertainment  at  your  hands  with 
pleasure." 

The  valiant  Captain  was  not  aware  that  he  had 
been  furnishing  very  valuable  information  to  his 
gentlemanly  visitor,  and  that  while  he  was  unsuspect- 
ingly answering  his  well-directed  questions,  his  serv- 
ant, the  quiet  Sam  Bridgeman,  was  unobservedly 
making  notes  of  all  that  he  heard  in  relation  to  the 
situation  of  affairs  and  with  regard  to  the  probable 
movements  of  the  rebel  troops. 

A  rather  ridiculous  incident  occurred  to  our  two 
travelers  after  leaving  the  camp.  They  had  pro- 
ceeded but  a  short  distance  upon  their  way,  when 
one  of  the  horses  they  were  driving  cast  a  shoe, 
which  made  it  necessary  for  them  to  stop  at  a 
little  village  and  secure  the  services  of  a  black- 
smith. 

Driving  up  to  the  hotel,  Lewis  alighted  from  the 
wagon,  while  Bridgeman  drove  to  the  blacksmith- 
shop  in  order  to  have  his  horse  attended  to.  As 
Lewis  ascended  the  steps  of  the  hotel  he  noticed  a 
tall,  rather  commanding-looking  gentleman  seated 
upon  the  porch,  who  was  evidently  scrutinizing  his 
appearance,  very  carefully.  The  stranger  was  a  man 
about  sixty  years  of  age,  but  remarkably  well  pre- 
served, and  the  lines  on  his  face  scarcely  gave  but 
little  indication  of  his  years.  There  was  an  air  of 
seeming  importance  about  him  which  impressed 
Lewis  with  the  fact  that  he  must  be  one  of  the  digni- 


218  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

taries  of  the  place,  and  as  he  approached  him  he  very 
politely  raised  his  hat  and  saluted  him. 

The  old  gentleman  returned  the  salutation  with 
an  inquiring  gaze,  and  Lewis,  in  order  to  pave  the 
way  to  his  acquaintance,  invited  him  to  partake  of  a 
drink,  which  was  cordially  accepted.  In  a  few 
minutes,  under  its  influence,  the  two  men  were  con- 
versing with  all  the  freedom  of  old  friends. 

Lewis  ascertained  that  his  companion  was  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  an  office  of  some  importance  in  that 
locality,  and  that  the  old  gentleman  was  disposed  to 
give  to  his  judicial  position  all  the  dignity  which  a 
personal  appreciation  of  his  standing  demanded.  In 
a  quiet  manner,  Lewis  at  once  gave  the  justice  to 
understand  his  appreciating  the  honor  he  had  received 
in  meeting  him,  and  by  a  few  well-administered  flat- 
teries, succeeded  in  completely  winning  the  kind  re- 
gards of  the  old  gentleman.  Their  pleasant  conver- 
sation was  progressing  with  very  favorable  success, 
when  Sam  Bridgeman  drove  up  with  the  team,  having 
succeeded  in  finding  a  smithy  and  in  having  the  lost 
shoe  replaced. 

With  a  deferential,  semi-military  salute,  he  ad- 
dressed Lewis : 

"We  are  all  ready,  my  lord."  At  the  mention 
of  the  title  the  old  fellow  jumped  to  his  feet  in  blank 
amazement,  and  in  the  most  obsequious  manner,  and 
with  an  air  of  humility,  that,  compared  with  his  bom- 
bastic tone  of  a  few  moments  before,  was  perfectly 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  219 

ridiculous.     Jerking  off  his  hat  and  placing  it  under 
his  left  arm,  he  advanced,  and  said : 

"  If  my  lord  would  do  me  the  honor  to  accept  my 
poor  hospitality,  I  would  only  be  too  happy  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  his  company  for  dinner  ;  my  house 
is  only  a  short  distance  off,  on  the  road  to  Charleston, 
and  will  detain  you  no  longer  than  to  rest  and 
feed  your  horses,  and  partake  of  a  true  Southern 
meal." 

Lewis  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  remembering 
that  he  had  represented  himself  as  traveling  purely 
for  pleasure,  he  did  not  see  how  he  could  avoid  ac- 
cepting his  kind  invitation. 

"  I  have  heard,  sir,  of  the  hospitable  character  of 
the  Southern  gentlemen,  and  I  assure  you  I  shall  be 
most  happy  to  avail  myself  of  your  kindness." 

The  old  Justice  could  not  conceal  his  pleasure  at 
the  prospect  of  entertaining  a  "  live  lord  "  in  his  own 
house,  and  with  evident  delight  he  accepted  a  seat  in 
Lewis'  carriage.  He  directed  the  way  to  his  dwelling, 
which  stood  back  from  the  road,  surrounded  by  a  grove 
of  lofty  pines,  and  then  invited  his  guest  within  ;  in- 
trusting the  care  of  the  team  to  the  care  of  Sam  and 
one  of  the  servants,  they  entered  the  house,  and  were 
soon  engaged  in  discussing  the  situation  of  affairs,  both 
North  and  South.  Lewis  informed  the  old  Justice 
that  his  name  was  Henry  Tracy,  of  Oxford,  England, 
and  that  his  object  was  to  reach  Charleston,  but  that 
he  was  not  aware  that  the  country  was  so  unsettled, 


220  A    REBEL    CAPTAIN 

or  he  would  not  have  ventured  on  this  trip.  He 
then  related  his  adventure  of  the  day  before,  and 
commented  favorably  on  the  gentlemanly  bearing  of 
the  Captain,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  had  been 
treated.  They  indulged  in  pleasant  conversation,  on 
various  topics,  until  dinner  was  announced. 

When  they  had  done  justice  to  an  excellent  re- 
past, they  repaired  to  a  shaded  porch  in  the  rear  of 
the  house,  and  Lewis  instructed  Sam  to  bring  out  a 
bottle  of  champagne  and  a  bottle  of  brandy.  These, 
as  already  intimated,  had  been  labeled  with  foreign 
wrappers,  so  that  the  deception  was  complete.  The 
brandy  was  a  very  ordinary  article,  and  the  wine  of 
an  inferior  quality,  but  the  old  gentlemen  went  into 
ecstasies  over  it,  and  under  its  mellowing  influence,  he 
became  familiar  and  confidential,  and  gave  to  my 
shrewd  operative  much  valuable  information.  Finally 
the  justice  grew  profusely  demonstrative,  and  leaning 
across  the  table,  he  said  : 

"  My  lord,  I  have  never  tasted  such  brandy  as 
you  carry  in  all  my  life,  I  have  a  couple  of  warm 
friends  outside  whom  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  send 
for,  and  whom  I  know  will  be  delighted  to  see  you, 
and  still  more  pleased  to  taste  this  excellent  liquor." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Lewis,  "  bring  them  in ;  I 
shall  be  happy  to  meet  them." 

Lewis  supposed,  of  course,  that  the  two  men 
whom  he  had  referred  were  planters  and  neighbors, 
but  imagine  his  surprise  when  the  justice  returned, 

I 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  221 

accompanied  by  the  blacksmith  and  cobbler  of  the 
village. 

After  being  introduced  to  "my  Lord  Tracy," 
Lewis  invited  them  to  take  a  glass  with  them,  and 
with  evident  pleasure,  yet  with  visible  embarrassment, 
they  accepted  the  invitation  and  seated  themselves  at 
the  table. 

It  was  now  that  the  old  gentleman  grew  loqua- 
cious ;  he  was  loud  and  profuse  in  his  praises  of  the 
brandy;  he  asserted   again  and   again,   that    it   had 
never  been  his  good  fortune  to  taste  such  liquor,  in 
which  encomiums  the  blacksmith  and  cobbler  heartily 
joined.     As  the  afternoon  wore  away,  and  the  pres- 
ent supply  was  exhausted,  Sam  was  dispatched  after 
another  bottle,  and  the  social  meeting  continued  un- 
til evening.     Lewis  was  careful  as  to  the  amount  he 
drank,  and  intensely  enjoyed  the  whole  affair.     The 
idea  of  the  blacksmith  and  cobbler  hobnobbing  with 
an  English  lord,  struck  him  as  being  so  ridiculously 
funny,  that  he  laughed  again  and  again  at  the  absur- 
dity of  the  situation.     Often  during  the  evening  he 
laughed  immoderately,  at  what  they  supposed  their 
own  jokes  and  wit,  when  he  was  really  thinking  of 
the  ridiculous  comedy  in  which  he  was  playing  the 
leading  part.     When  the  hour  for  retiring  arrived, 
the  old  man  begged  as  a  special  favor  that  he  would 
be  allowed  to  keep  one  of  the  empty  bottles,  as  a 
memento  of  the  occasion  of  his  lordship's  dining  with 
him,  and  to  remind  him  of  the  pleasure  he  had  en- 


222  A     REBEL     CAPTAIN 

joyed  of  drinking  some  rare  old  imported  brandy 
(made  in  Cincinnati).  The  blacksmith  and  cobbler 
also  looked  so  longingly  at  the  empty  bottles  before 
them,  that  Lewis  could  scarcely  refrain  from  laughing 
heartily,  as  he  graciously  complied  with  their  request 
for  a  souvenir  of  the  occasion.  The  evident  satisfac- 
tion with  which  they  appropriated  a  bottle  apiece,  as 
they  started  for  home,  and  their  hearty  thanks  as 
they  bid  him  good-night,  was  heartily  echoed  by  the 
old  justice,  who  carefully  laid  his  bottle  away  as  a 
sacred  relic  of  a  never-to-be-forgotten  event. 

While  the  party  were  enjoying  themselves  on  the 
porch,  Sam  Bridgeman  had  been  using  his  time  well 
among  the  servants,  and  had  gleaned  much  valuable 
information  from  them.  They  remained  over  night 
with  the  old  gentleman,  and  on  the  following  morning, 
after  bidding  him  a  kind  farewell,  they  started  on 
their  journey.  Lewis  did  not  forget,  however,  before 
leaving,  to  take  a  parting  glass  with  his  host,  who 
seemed  very  reluctant  to  have  them  depart.  They 
continued  on  their  way  towards  Charleston,  traveling 
but  slowly,  as  the  roads  were  heavy  from  the  recent 
rains.  About  noon  they  arrived  at  a  farm-house,  to 
which  they  had  been  recommended  by  their  host  of 
the  night  before.  Here  they  stopped  for  dinner,  and 
after  refreshing  themselves,  they  again  went  on. 
The  afternoon  was  warm  and  pleasant,  and  their 
journey  lay  through  a  beautiful  stretch  of  country. 
Driving  quietly  along,  they  beguiled  the  time  admir- 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  223 

ing  the  beautiful  scenery  spread  before  them,  and  in 
pleasant  converse.  Their  enjoyment  was,  however, 
suddenly  interrupted  by  the  sound  of  loud  voices  and 
the  clattering  of  horses'  hoofs  immediately  behind 
him.  Quickly  turning  around,  the  cause  of  this 
unusual  excitement  was  at  once  apparent.  A  fine 
black  horse,  covered  with  foam,  was  tearing  down  the 
turnpike  at  break-neck  speed,  and  evidently  running 
away.  Upon  his  back  was  seated  a  young  lady,  who 
bravely  held  her  seat,  and  who  was  vainly  attempting 
to  restrain  the  unmanageable  animal.  Some  distance 
behind  were  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  on  horse- 
back, all  spurring  their  horses  to  the  utmost,  as  if 
with  the  intention  of  overtaking  the  flying  steed  in 
front  of  them.  Intense  fear  was  depicted  upon  the 
countenances  of  those  in  the  rear,  and  not  without 
reason,  for  the  situation  of  the  young  lady  was 
dangerous  indeed. 

Quick  as  a  flash,  my  operatives  realized  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs,  and  the  necessity  for  prompt  action. 
Without  uttering  a  word,  Sam  Bridgeman  turned 
his  horses  directly  across  the  road,  intending  by  that 
means  to  stop  the  mad  course  of  the  fiery  charger 
approaching  them.  As  he  did  so,  Lewis  sprang  from 
the  wagon,  and  with  the  utmost  coolness  advanced  to 
meet  the  approaching  horse.  On  came  the  frightened 
animal  at  a  speed  that  threatened  every  moment  to 
hurl  the  brave  girl  from  her  seat,  until  he  approached 
nearly  to  the  point  at  which  my  operatives  had 


224  A    REBEL     CAPTAIN 

stationed  themselves,  and  then,  evidently  perceiving 
the  obstructions  in  his  path,  he  momentarily  slackened 
pace.  In  that  instant  Lewis  sprang  forward,  and 
grasping  the  bridle  firmly  with  a  strong  hand,  he  forced 
the  frightened  animal  back  upon  his  haunches.  The 
danger  was  passed.  The  horse,  feeling  the  iron  grip 
upon  the  bridle,  and  recognizing  the  voice  of 
authority,  stood  still  and  trembling  in  every  joint,  his 
reeking  sides  heaving,  and  his  eyes  flashing  fire.  The 
young  lady,  with  a  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling,  fell 
back  in  the  saddle,  and  would  have  fallen  but  that 
Sam  Bridgemen,  hastening  to  the  relief  of  his  com- 
panion, was  fortunately  in  time  to  catch  the  fainting 
figure  in  his  arms.  Extricating  her  quickly  from  the 
saddle,  he  set  her  gently  on  the  ground,  and  as  he  did 
so  the  fair  head  fell  forward  on  his  shoulder,  and  she 
lost  consciousness. 

By  this  time  Lewis  had  succeeded  in  quieting  the 
excited  animal,  and  had  fastened  him  to  a  tree  by  the 
wayside,  and  as  he  turned  to  the  assistance  of 
Bridgeman,  the  companions  of  the  unconscious  girl 
rode  up.  Hastily  dismounting,  they  rushed  to  her 
aid,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  under  their  ministrations, 
the  dark  eyes  were  opened,  and  the  girl  gazed  won- 
deringly  around. 

After  being  assisted  to  her  feet,  she  gratefully 
expressed  her  thankfulness  to  the  men  who  had  prob- 
ably saved  her  life,  in  which  she  was  warmly  joined 
by  the  remainder  of  the  party. 


ENTERTAINS    "MY    LORD."  225 

Sam  Bridgeman  received  these  grateful  expres- 
sions with  an  air  of  modest  confusion,  which  was 
indeed  laughable,  and  then  said  : 

"  It  ain't  no  use  thanking  me,  Miss,  it  was  my 
lord  here,  that  stopped  the  the  animal." 

At  the  words  "  my  lord,"  a  look  of  curiosity  came 
over  the  faces  of  the  new-comers,  and  Lewis  stepped 
gracefully  forward  and  introduced  himself. 

"  I  am  glad,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  to  have  been 
of  service  to  this  young  lady,  and  permit  me  to  intro- 
duce myself  as  Henry  Tracy,  of  Oxford,  England, 
now  traveling  in  America." 

The  three  gentlemen  who  were  of  the  riding 
party  grasped  the  hand  of  their  new-made  English 
acquaintance,  and  in  a  few  words  introduced  him  to 
the  ladies  who  accompanied  them,  all  of  whom  were 
seemingly  delighted  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  a 
gentleman  who  had  been  addressed  by  his  servant 
as  "  my  lord." 

This  adventure  proved  to  be  a  most  fortunate  one 
for  my  two  operatives.  The  gentlemen,  upon  intro- 
ducing themselves,  were  discovered  to  be  connected 
with  the  rebel  army,  and  to  be  recruiting  officers  sent 
by  Governor  Letcher  to  organize  such  rebel  volun- 
teers as  were  to  be  gathered  in  Western  Virginia. 
By  them  Lewis  was  cordially  invited  to  join  their  com- 
pany to  Charleston,  which  he  as  cordially  accepted. 
Suggesting  that  as  the  young  lady,  who  had  scarcely 
recovered  from  the  accident,  might  not  feel  able  to 
15 


226  A     REBEL     CAPTAIN. 

ride  her  horse  into  town,  he  politely  offered  her  a 
seat  in  his  carriage,  which  offer  was  gratefully  ac- 
cepted, and  attaching  the  runaway  horse  to  the  rear 
of  the  vehicle,  the  party  proceeded  on  their  way  to 
Charleston,  at  which  point  they  arrived  without 
further  event  or  accident. 

The  young  lady  whom  Lewis  had  so  providen- 
tially rescued  was  the  only  daughter  of  Judge 
Beveridge,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential 
men  in  the  State,  and  upon  conducting  her  to  her 
home,  the  detective  was  received  with  the  warmest 
emotions  by  the  overjoyed  father.  Lewis  was  pressed 
to  make  the  house  of  the  Judge  his  home  during  his 
stay,  but  gratefully  declining  the  invitation,  he  took 
up  his  quarters  at  the  hotel,  where  he  could  more 
readily  extend  his  acquaintance,  and  where  his  move- 
ments would  be  more  free. 

The  young  officers  whom  he  had  met  upon  the 
road  had  their  quarters  at  the  hotel  at  which  Lewis 
had  stopped,  and  under  their  friendly  guidance  no 
one  thought  of  questioning  his  truthfulness,  or  im- 
peaching his  professions. 

By  this  means  he  was  enabled  to  acquire  a  wonder- 
ful amount  of  information,  both  of  value  and  impor- 
tance to  the  cause  of  the  North,  all  of  which  was  duly 
reported  to  me  at  headquarters,  and  by  me  commu- 
nicated directly  to  General  McClellan. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Rebels  Attempt  to  Occupy  West  Virginia. — General 
McClellan  Ordered  to  Drive  them  Out. — Early  Battle. — 
The  Federals  Victorious. —  West  Virginia  Freed  from 
Rebel  Soldiers. 

RECOGNIZING  the  importance  of  holding  West 
Virginia,  and  of  preventing  the  Union  forces 
from  penetrating  through  the  mountains  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Staunton,  the  rebel  authorities  had  sent  two 
new  commanders  into  that  region.  Ex-Governor  Wise 
was  dispatched  to  the  Kanawha  Valley,  and  General 
Garnett,  formerly  a  Major  in  the  Federal  army,  was 
sent  to  Beverly  to  attempt  to  gather  up  and  reorganize 
the  remnants  of  Colonel  Porterfield's  scattered  com- 
mand, and  to  adopt  immediate  measures  to  reinforce 
them. 

General  Wise  having  been  assigned  to  the  Ka- 
nawha Valley,  was  expected  to  arrive  at  Charleston  on 
the  day  following  the  appearance  of  my  operatives, 
and  the  city  was  in  a  state  of  subdued  excitement  in 
anticipation  of  his  coming. 

In  the  evening,  Lewis,  in  company  with  the  officers 
whom  he  had  met  in  the  morning,  proceeded  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Judge  Beveridge,  where  he  was  cordially  re- 

[227] 


228  WEST     VIRGINIA    FREED 

ceived  by  that  gentleman  and  his  charming  daughter, 
who  had  now  thoroughly  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
her  dangerous  ride.  With  rare  grace  she  greeted  my 
operative,  and  her  expressions  of  thankfulness  were 
couched  in  such  delicate  language,  that  the  pretended 
Englishman  felt  a  strange  fluttering  in  his  breast, 
which  was  as  novel  to  him  as  it  was  delicious.  He 
passed  a  very  delightful  evening,  and  by  his  knowledge 
of  English  affairs,  and  his  unqualified  approval  of  the 
cause  of  the  South,  added  to  the  fact  that  he  was 
believed  to  be  a  gentleman  of  rank  and  fortune,  he 
succeeded  in  materially  increasing  the  high  opinion 
which  had  previously  been  entertained  regarding  him. 

The  next  morning  General  Wise  arrived,  and  his 
appearance  was  hailed  with  delight  by  the  disunion 
element  of  the  city,  while  those  whose  sympathies 
were  with  the  North  looked  with  apprehension  and 
disfavor  upon  the  demonstrations  that  were  being 
made  in  his  honor. 

At  the  first  opportune  moment,  Price  Lewis,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  new-found  friends,  the  rebel 
officers,  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  introduction  to  the 
ancient-looking  individual  whose  career  had  been 
marked  by  such  exciting  events,  and  who  was  so 
prominent  a  figure  in  the  tragedy  that  was  now  being 
enacted.  He  was  a  small,  intelligent-looking  man, 
whose  age  appeared  to  be  nearly  seventy  years,  and 
whose  emaciated  appearance  gave  every  token  that 
he  had  not  long  to  live.  His  eyes  shone  with  the 


FROM    REBEL    SOLDIERS.  229 

brilliancy  of  youth,  and  the  fires  of  ambition  seemed 
to  be  burning  brightly  in  his  breast.  Perhaps  no 
other  man  in  the  South  had  contributed  in  so  great  a 
degree  to  hasten  the  folly  of  secession,  and  certainly 
none  rejoiced  more  heartily  at  its  final  realization. 

By  his  eloquence,  and  the  magnetic  power  of  his 
presence,  he  had  led  the  ignorant  classes  of  the  State 
to  firm  belief  in  the  justice  of  his  cause,  and  by  his 
teachings  he  had  imbued  them  with  a  firm  conviction 
that  they  were  acting  for  their  own  best  interests,  and 
for  the  furtherance  of  the  Southern  supremacy  and 
success. 

Stern  and  determined,  he  allowed  nothing  to 
stand  between  him  and  the  accomplishment  of  his 
purposes.  But  a  few  months  before,  he  had  ordered 
the  execution  of  John  Brown,  who,  with  a  mere  hand- 
ful of  men,  had  attempted  to  strike  a  blow  in  behalf 
of  the  slave.  This  ardent  abolitionist  attacked  and 
captured  Harper's  Ferry,  a  government  arsenal,  by 
overpowering  the  men  who  were  stationed  at  that 
place,  but  the  authorities  had  been  called  upon,  and 
then,  yielding  to  superior  numbers,  he  was  compelled 
to  surrender.  In  this  encounter  the  majority  of  his 
men  were  slain,  and  John  Brown,  with  six  of  his  asso- 
ciates, was  taken  prisoner.  This  occurred  on  the 
1 6th  day  of  October,  1859,  an<^  on  tne  22(^  day  °f 
December,  after  a  hurried  trial,  the  prisoners  were 
ordered  by  Governor  Wise  to  be  publicly  hanged. 
The  sentence  was  duly  carried  into  effect,  and  the 


230  WEST     VIRGINIA     FREED 

action  of  John  Brown  was  used  by  the  secession  ad- 
vocates to  inflame  the  minds  of  the  Southern  people 
against  the  North.  Now  that  secession  had  become 
an  established  fact,  it  was  a  matter  of  question 
whether  the  leaders  of  the  Southern  cause  would  not, 
in  the  end,  strike  a  far  more  forcible  blow  in  favor  of 
the  emancipation  of  the  slave,  than  did  the  impetuous 
old  man  who  gave  up  his  life  at  the  behest  of  the 
Southern  leaders. 

The  General  had  been  previously  informed  of  the 
presence  of  Lewis  in  the  hotel,  and  of  his  adventure 
on  the  day  previous,  consequently,  when  he  was  pre- 
sented to  the  new  commander,  he  was  received  with 
warm  cordiality.  The  General  inquired  particularly 
into  his  history,  and  his  present  movements,  all  of  which 
were  replied  to  by  Lewis  in  a  dignified  and  satisfac- 
tory manner.  Under  the  influence  of  Lewis'  good- 
nature the  General  became  social  and  familiar,  and 
invited  him  to  dine  with  him  in  his  apartments. 

Leaving  no  opportunity  that  offered,  the  detec- 
tive took  advantage  of  every  available  suggestion,  and 
the  result  was  he  became  fully  posted  upon  every- 
thing that  was  of  importance,  and  was  enabled  to  ren- 
der such  an  account  of  his  labors  as  was  satisfactory 
in  the  extreme.  Sam  Bridgeman,  too,  had  not  been 
idle,  but  mingling  freely  with  the  soldiers,  he  had 
succeeded  in  learning  much  of  the  conditions  of  the 
country  that  was  of  immense  advantage  in  the  after 
events  of  the  campaign  in  Western  Virginia. 


FROM    REBEL    SOLDIERS.  231 

They  remained  in  Charleston  about  eight  days, 
and  then,  taking  leave  of  the  many  friends  they  had 
made,  they  made  their  way  safely  back  to  Cincinnati 
and  reported.  The  other  two  men  whom  I  had  dis- 
patched upon  the  same  mission  traveled  by  rail  across 
the  State  of  Ohio  and  reached  the  West  Virginia  line 
at  Point  Pleasant.  Here  they  began  their  investiga- 
tions, and  passing  unquestioned  they  roamed  through 
the  country,  passing  eastward  as  far  as  Lynchburg. 
Thence,  they  made  a  detour  to  the  South,  and  jour- 
neyed as  far  as  Chattanooga  and  Nashville,  in  Tennes- 
see, and  thence  to  Louisville,  Ky.  Throughout  their 
entire  pilgrimage  they  were  ever  on  the  alert  to 
acquire  knowledge,  and  the  immense  amount  of  infor- 
mation which  they  gathered  would  only  prove  tedious 
to  both  myself  and  the  reader.  It  is  enough  to  say 
that  they  performed  their  duty  in  a  manner  creditable 
to  themselves  and  valuable  to  the  cause  they  repre- 
sented, and  I  will  simply  summarize  the  situation. 

General  Garnett  had  posted  himself  in  the  pass 
at  Laurel  Hill,  with  an  additional  force  at  Beverly, 
while  another,  detachment,  under  Col.  Pegram,  had 
established  himself  in  the  pass  at  Rich  Mountain. 
Here  he  had  intended  to  fortify  himself  and  to  await 
a  favorable  opportunity  for  breaking  the  railroad. 
He  found  affairs  upon  his  arrival  in  a  miserable  con- 
dition ;  the  troops  were  disorganized  and  without  dis- 
cipline, arms  or  ammunition,  and  General  Lee  imme- 
diately sent  him  re-enforcements. 


232  WEST     VIRGINIA    FREED 

This  was  the  condition  of  affairs,  when,  early  in 
July,  General  McClellan  resolved  to  take  the  offen- 
sive and  drive  the  rebels  from  West  Virginia.  In 
this  campaign  he  received  material  aid  and  assistance 
from  that  brave  officer  General  Rosecrans,  who  by 
superhuman  exertions  penetrated  the  pathless  forest 
cutting  and  climbing  his  way  to  the  very  crest  of 
Rich  Mountain. 

This  movement,  difficult  as  it  was,  to  the  South  of 
the  rebels,  was  a  complete  surprise  to  the  enemy,  who 
was  expecting  their  arrival  from  the  North. 

They  made  a  gallant  resistance,  however,  but  the 
Union  forces  had  such  an  advantage  that  the  contest 
was  quickly  decided.  The  rebel  forces  were  driven 
from  their  breast-works  and  were  compelled  to  take 
refuge  in  thickets  or  the  mountains.  Their  confu- 
sion was  deplorable,  and  their  defeat  unmistakable. 

This  victory  placed  the  enemy  in  a  very  precari- 
ous position.  McClellan  was  in  his  front  and  Rose- 
crans in  secure  possession  of  the  road  behind  him, 
and  Pegram,  realizing  the  danger  that  threatened  him, 
returned  to  his  camp  and,  hastily  spiking  his  guns,  he 
abandoned  all  his  stores  and  equipments,  and  endeav- 
ored to  escape  by  marching  northward  along  the 
mountain,  intending,  if  possible,  to  join  Garnett  at 
Laurel  Hill. 

For  the  time  being,  he  was  successful  in  eluding 
the  Federal  commanders,  and  after  a  most  laborious 
march  of  eighteen  hours,  found  himself  within  three 


FROM    REBEL    SOLDIERS.  .    233 

miles  of  Leedsville.  Here  he  was  doomed  to 
disappointment,  for  he  learned  that  Garnett  had  also 
retreated,  and  that  a  strong  Union  column  was  in 
close  pursuit.  Thus  he  was  again  caught  between 
two  Union  armies,  and  despairing  of  effecting  his 
escape,  he  sent  a  proposal  to  General  McClellan, 
offering  a  total  surrender  of  his  command.  The 
Union  General  accepted  the  proposition,  and  on  the 
following  day  the  half-famished  rebel  fugitives  laid 
down  their  arms  and  became  prisoners  of  war,  only 
too  glad  to  receive  once  more  comfortable  quarters 
and  hunger-appeasing  rations. 

The  fugitives  who  had  escaped  from  the  battle  of 
Rich  Mountain  carried  the  news  of  that  disaster  to 
Beverly,  and  to  General  Garnett,  at  Laurel  Hill,  and 
an  immediate  retreat  was  ordered.  But  he  was  closely 
pressed  by  the  advancing  Union  armies,  and  when 
General  Garnett  reached  Leedsville,  he  heard  that 
General  McClellan  was  at  Beverly,  thus  cutting  off 
effectually  his  further  passage  southward.  He  now 
resolved  upon  the  desperate  attempt  of  turning  to  the 
North  and  reaching  St.  George  and  West  Union  by  a 
rough  and  difficult  mountain  road,  during  which  his 
troops  naturally  became  very  much  scattered  and 
disorganized.  Although  he  was  nearly  fifteen  hours 
in  advance  of  his  pursuers,  they  gained  rapidly  upon 
him,  and  notwithstanding  every  effort  was  made  by 
the  rebels  to  impede  his  progress  by  felling  trees  in 
the  narrow  mountain  defiles,  the  Union  advance 


234  WEST     VIRGINIA     FREED 

overtook  the  rebel  wagon-train  at  Carrick's  Ford,  one 
of  the  crossings  of  Cheat  River,  about  twenty-six 
miles  north-west  of  Laurel  Hill.  Here  Garnett 
resolved  to  risk  an  encounter,  and  facing  about  his 
troops,  he  took  a  position  on  a  favorable  and  pre- 
cipitous elevation  on  the  river  bank,  and  planting  his 
guns  so  as  to  command  the  ford  and  the  approaching 
road,  he  prepared  to  defend  his  retreat.  A  brisk 
engagement  at  once  ensued,  and  after  a  sharp  contest 
the  rebel  lines  broke  and  fled,  abandoning  one  of 
their  guns. 

Retreat  and  pursuit  were  once  more  commenced, 
and  at  the  next  ford,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  on, 
during  a  desultory  skirmish  fire  between  small  parties 
of  sharpshooters,  General  Garnett  was  killed.  Here 
the  Federal  pursuit  was  discontinued,  and  the  rebels 
left  in  the  hands  of  the  victors  their  entire  baggage 
train,  one  gun,  two  stands  of  colors  and  fifty 
prisoners. 

Estimated  according  to  mere  numbers,  these  battles 
of  Rich  Mountain  and  Carrick's  Ford  appear  somewhat 
insignificant  in  contrast  with  the  great  battles  of  the 
rebellion,  which  occurred  during  the  succeeding  three 
years.  Hundreds  of  engagements  of  greater  magni- 
tude, and  attended  with  much  more  serious  loss  of 
life,  followed  these  encounters,  and  decided  the 
mighty  problem  of  Northern  success,  but  this  early 
skirmish  with  the  rebels  on  Rich  Mountain,  and  this 
rout  of  Garnett's  rear-guard  at  Carrick's  Ford,  were 


FROM    REBEL    SOLDIERS.  235 

speedily  followed  by  great  political  and  military 
results,  which  exercised  a  powerful  influence  upon  the 
after-conduct  of  the  war.  They  closed  a  campaign, 
dispersed  a  rebel  army,  which  had  for  a  long  time  been 
harassing  a  State  whose  sympathies  were  with  the 
Union,  and  they  permanently  pushed  back  the 
military  frontier  to  the  borders  of  rebellious  territory. 
Now,  is  it  too  much  to  say  that  the  brilliant  success 
which  attended  this  first  aggressive  movement  of 
General  McClellan  had  a  marked  effect  upon  the 
public  mind  ?  That  they  gave  a  general  impression 
of  his  military  skill  is  not  to  be  doubted,  and  he  was 
from  that  time  the  hero  of  the  hour.  Certain  it  is 
that  a  train  of  circumstances  started  from  these 
achievements  which  eventually  led  to  his  being  called 
to  Washington  after  the  reverses  at  Manassas  and 
Bull  Run,  and  made  him,  on  the  first  day  of  Novem- 
ber following,  the  General-in-Chief  of  all  the  armies 
of  the  United  States. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  follow  the  subse- 
quent operations  in  West  Virginia,  as  my  duties  were 
connected  with  General  McClellan  and  his  campaigns 
in  that  district  ended  with  the  death  of  General  Gar- 
nett  and  the  dispersion  of  his  army.  About  a  week 
afterwards  he  was  called  to  a  new  field  of  duty  at 
Washington  city,  and  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  touch 
upon  events  in  which  I  took  no  part.  It  is  enough 
to  say  that,  with  somewhat  fluctuating  changes,  the 
rebels  were  gradually  forced  back  from  the  Great 


236  WEST    VIRGINIA    FREED. 

Kanawha  Valley,  and  the  eventual  result  left  West 
Virginia  in  possession  of  the  Federal  troops,  her  own 
inherent  loyalty  having  contributed  largely  in  pro- 
ducing this  condition.  The  Union  sentiment  of  the 
people  was  everywhere  made  manifest,  and  the  new 
State  government  was  consolidated  and  heartily  sus- 
tained, ending  in  her  ultimate  admission  as  a  separate 
member  of  the  Federal  Union  in  June,  1863. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

General  McClellan  is  called  to  Washington  and  placed  in 
Command  of  the  Armies,  after  the  Battle  of  Bull  Run. — 
The  Secret  Service  Department. — Its  Duties  and  Respon- 
sibilities. 

AS  I  am  not  attempting  to  write  a  history  of  the 
^-J^  Civil  War,  but  merely  relating,  as  best  I  can, 
the  leading  incidents  connected  with  my  labors  in  the 
secret  service,  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  the  details  of 
the  military  movements  of  the  war,  except  as  they  are 
necessarily  connected  with  my  own  movements.  It 
is  necessary,  however,  to  make  cursory  mention  of 
that  remarkable  chain  of  circumstances  which  fol- 
lowed General  McClellan's  campaign  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, resulting  in  entire  and  unexpected  change  of 
circumstances  to  him,  and  a  consequent  enlargement 
of  my  own  field  of  operations.  Therefore,  without 
pausing  to  describe  the  various  movements  and  enter- 
prises in  West  Virginia  during  the  remainder  of  the 
year  1861,  or  detailing  the  campaign  of  the  three 
months'  volunteers  under  General  Patterson,  and 
their  bloodless  victory  at  Harper's  Ferry,  I  will  pass 
on  to  other  scenes  and  events  which  lead  directly  to 
the  turning-point  in  my  story.  , 

[237] 


238  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

Patriotism  in  the  North  was  excited  to  such  a 
pitch  that  the  people  were  impatient  of  delay,  and 
eager  to  strike  a  decisive  blow — a  blow  that  would  at 
once  annihilate  treason  and  wipe  out  the  insult  to  a 
nation's  flag,  and  maintain  a  nation's  honor.  The 
resounding  echoes  of  the  rebel  guns  that  had  done 
their  work  of  destruction  on  Sumter's  walls,  were  still 
vibrating  in  the  air. 

The  Confederate  seat  of  government  had  been 
transferred  from  Montgomery  to  Richmond,  immedi- 
ately after  Virginia's  indorsement  of  the  secession 
ordinance,  and  this  enthronement  of  rebellion  so  close 
to  the  very  stronghold  of  freedom,  caused  patriotic 
resentment  to  blaze  up  with  fresh  intensity. 

In  the  month  of  June  a  determined  movement 
against  Manassas  was  resolved  upon  at  Washington. 

As  a  preliminary  step  to  the  advancement  upon 
the  rebel  capital,  General  Scott  gave  Patterson 
orders  to  offer  Johnston  battle,  or  detain  him  in 
the  Shenandoah  Valley  by  other  demonstrations,  in 
order  that  his  army  might  not  unite  with  Beauregard's 
and  defeat  the  movement.  But  Patterson  failed  to 
perform  the  task  assigned  to  him,  and  his  failure  lost 
to  the  Union  cause  the  first  great  battle  of  the 
war. 

General  Beauregard  was  in  possession  of  Manassas 
with  six  thousand  men,  and  this  force  was  being 
very  materially  increased  by  the  arrival  of  reinforce- 
ments from  time  to  time ;  but  notwithstanding  this 


AND    ITS    DUTIES.  239 

fact,  it  was  believed  that  every  chance  of  success 
would  be  provided  for  by  the  strength  of  the  Union 
army  at  the  capital,  if  only  Johnston  could  be  held  in 
check  for  a  few  days. 

Delay  in  starting  this  expedition  against  the  en- 
emy's works  was  unavoidable,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  afternoon  of  the  i6th  of  July  that  the  march 
of  McDowell's  army  commenced.  Even  then  the 
progress  was  painfully  slow,  owing  to  inexperience 
and  lack  of  discipline  on  the  part  of  the  troops. 

Manassas  Junction  was  defended  by  about  two 
thousand  rebels,  with  fourteen  or  fifteen  heavy  guns, 
while  at  Bull  Run,  some  three  miles  east  of  Manassas, 
was  stationed  Beauregard's  main  army,  over  twenty 
thousand  strong,  posted  at  the  various  fords  of  the 
stream,  in  a  line  fully  eight  miles  long.  McDowell, 
as  a  strategic  movement  to  conceal  his  real  purpose, 
directed  his  march  upon  Centerville,  at  which  place 
Tyler's  Division  arrived  on  the  morning  of  July  i8th, 
to  find  that  it  had  been  evacuated  by  the  rebels,  who 
were  all  behind  Bull  Run.  From  Centreville,  which  is 
situated  on  a  hill,  Tyler  and  his  men  had  a  view  of 
the  whole  valley  spread  out  before  them,  with  Ma- 
nassas on  the  high  plateau  beyond.  It  has  been 
hinted  that  Tyler  was  inspired  with  over  confidence 
by  the  utter  absence  of  opposition  to  his  advance,  and 
was  thus  betrayed  into  the  indiscretion  of  a  further 
advance  and  an  experimental  assault.  This  provoked 
a  skirmish,  which  speedly  culminated  in  the  battle  of 


240  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

Blackburn's  Ford,  the  result  of  which  was  much  loss 
and  demoralization. 

Two  more  days  elapsed  before  the  great  fight 
occurred.  Those  two  days  were  occupied  by  the  en- 
gineers in  efforts  to  find  an  unfortified  ford  over  Bull 
Run,  which  was  accomplished  in  time  to  permit 
McDowell  to  call  his  officers  together  on  Saturday 
night,  and  announce  to  them  his  plan  of  battle  for 
the  following  day.  This  brought  the  main  contest  on 
Sunday,  July  2ist,  and  before  daylight  on  the  morning 
of  that  eventful  day,  both  armies  were  up  and  astir, 
each  intending  to  take  the  initiative.  There  was  much 
unnecessary  confusion  and  delay,  mingled  with  undue 
excitement  and  impetuosity,  showing  that  everything 
was  raw  and  awkward  on  both  sides.  Perhaps  no 
troops  ever  engaged  in  warfare  with  as  little  knowl- 
edge of  the  privations,  hardships  and  dangers  of 
soldier-life,  as  did  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies 
on  this  bloody  field. 

The  day  passed ;  the  shades  of  evening  fell,  and 
the  battle  of  Bull  Run  had  been  fought  and  lost ! 
Victory  had  perched  itself  on  the  rebel  banners,  and 
the  Union  army  was  in  full  retreat  towards  Washing- 
ton. The  engagement  had  been  well  contested,  and 
fought  with  equal  courage  and  persistence  by  both 
sides,  and  the  result  was  quite  as  unexpected  to  the 
Confederates  as  to  the  Federals. 

But  Johnston  had  not  been  kept  out  of  the  fray, 
as  it  was  calculated  he  would  be.  His  army  had 


AND    ITS    DUTIES.  241 

been  permitted  to  arrive  on  the  battle-field  in  the 
nick  of  time  to  take  a  decisive  part  in  the  famous 
conflict,  and  to  turn  the  fortunes  of  the  day  at  a 
moment  when  the  signs  of  victory  were  all  in  favor 
of  the  Federal  troops.  Totally  unconscious  of  the 
fact  that  they  had  been  fighting  Johnston  all  day,  the 
Union  soldiers  had  not  once  lost  confidence  in  them- 
selves, and  fully  believed  that  they  must  win  ;  but 
when  a  frqsh  assault  from  a  new  quarter  convinced 
them  that  Johnston's  forces  had  arrived,  the  realiza- 
tion and  acknowledgment  of  coming  defeat  pervaded 
the  whole  army,  and  the  quick  instinct  of  retreat  was 
aroused.  They  believed  that  success  had  now  become 
hopeless,  and  nothing  could  change  this  belief,  or 
check  or  control  the  impulse  of  flight,  once  started. 
The  day  was  lost ;  the  evidence  of  a  great  disaster 
became  suddenly  overwhelming  to  the  non-combat- 
ants in  the  rear  ;  the  retreating  brigades,  and  the 
nearer  approach  of  cannonade  and  musketry  soon 
confirmed  the  worst  fears  of  a  terrible  defeat  and  a 
hot  pursuit ;  and  then  began  that  insane  scramble  and 
stampede  for  safety. 

The  sights  and  scenes  encountered  on  the  way  to 
Fairfax  Court-House  will  never  be  effaced  from  the 
memory  of  those  who  witnessed  it.  The  story  of  that 
memorable  retreat  has  been  told  over  and  over  again  ; 
of  the  mad  flight  of  civilians,  in  carriages  and  on 
horseback,  lashing  their  steeds  to  the  top  of  their 
speed  ;  of  soldiers  of  all  regiments  mingled  confusedly 

16 


242  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

together,  some  in  complete  uniform,  others  stripped 
of  everything  but  trousers,  shirts  and  shoes,  and  all 
footsore,  haggard  and  half-starved ;  of  arms,  clothing 
and  other  valuables  abandoned,  that  the  progress  of 
the  runaways  might  not  be  impeded  by  such  incum- 
brances  ;  of  vehicles,  and  even  ambulances,  bearing 
wounded  men,  left  standing  in  the  road,  while  the 
frightened  teamsters  rode  away  like  the  wind,  on 
horses  unhitched  or  cut  out  of  their  harness ;  of  army 
wagons  emptied  of  their  loads  and  filled  with 
stragglers,  thundering  along  the  crowded  highway  ;  of 
the  dash  and  clatter  of  artillery  carriages  ;  of  con- 
fusion, panic,  demoralization  and  headlong  hurry 
everywhere  along  the  route. 

By  midnight,  mounted  officers  and  civilians  began 
to  arrive  in  Washington  ;  but  not  until  the  next  day, 
when  the  rain  was  pouring  down  in  torrents — that 
dreadful,  drenching  rain  that  continued  for  thirty-six 
hours,  with  but  slight  intermission — did  the  poor, 
hungry,  fagged-out  soldiers  commence  straggling  in. 
That  they  were  promptly  and  properly  fed  by  the 
people,  rich  and  poor,  who  threw  open  their  doors 
and  gave  what  they  could  to  alleviate  the  suffering  of 
these  brave  but  unfortunate  men,  speaks  volumes  for 
the  unselfish  generosity  of  the  loyal  families  of  the 
capital  during  that  period. 

It  was  while  this  discouraging  state  of  affairs  ex- 
isted that  General  McClellan  was  called  to  Washing- 
ton, to  assume  control  of  the  lately  defeated  troops, 


AND    ITS    DUTIES.  243 

General  Rosecrans  having  succeeded  him  in  the 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  West.  Considering  his 
recent  success  in  West  Virginia,  and  the  military 
skill  and  judgment  there  displayed  by  him,  it  is  but 
natural  that  McClellan  should  have  been  selected  to 
re-create  the  army,  which  was  destined  to  defend  the 
Capital  for  the  next  three  years. 

His  arrival  in  Washington,  on  the  27th  of  July, 
was  hailed  with  genuine  delight  by  officers  and  citi- 
zens, for  at  that  date  he  held  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence and  admiration  of  all  loyal  people.  It  was  an 
immense  responsibility  which  devolved  upon  him,  but 
he  accepted  it  cheerfully,  and  took  up  his  task  with 
that  energy,  tact  and  perseverance  which  precluded 
all  possibility  of  failure.  When  first  called  to  the 
command,  he  found  a  mere  collection  of  regiments, 
undisciplined,  undrilled  and  dispirited,  cowering  on  the 
banks  of  the  Potomac,  and  with  only  such  material  to 
work  upon,  he  soon  organized,  equipped,  and  trained 
with  rare  skill,  that  grand  body  of  troops,  which  he 
afterwards  led  in  the  campaign  of  the  Peninsula. 

The  war  was  but  just  commenced,  at  a  time  when 
most  people  thought  it  would  be  over.  The  "  ninety 
days  "  theory  was  completely  exploded.  Those  who 
had  flattered  themselves  that  the  conflict  would  be 
"sharp  and  short  " — that  a  single  victorious  and  glo- 
rious campaign  would  crush  the  rebellion — were  now 
undeceived.  My  own  hopes  had  controlled  my  judg- 
ment on  this  subject,  and  made  me  visionary.  I  had 


244  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

hoped  for  myself  to  be  able  speedily  to  return  to  con- 
genial pursuits  and  my  domestic  circle,  and  that  a 
speedy  collapse  of  their  frenzy  would  save  the  South- 
ern people  from  the  inevitable  ruin  which  must 
result  from  a  protracted  war.  I  had  hoped  for  my 
country,  that  the  spectacle  she  now  presented  to 
the  world — exciting  the  derision  of  her  enemies,  and 
the  melancholy  pity  of  her  friends — would  soon  be 
changed  by  the  "returning  good  sense  of  the  people," 
as  it  was  so  easily  and  egotistically  phrased  by  many 
individuals  at  that  time.  Above  all,  I  had  hoped 
for  the  oppressed  and  shackled  race  of  the  South, 
that  the  downfall  of  slavery  would  be  early  accom- 
plished, and  their  freedom  permanently  established. 
Being  myself  an  old  line  abolitionist,  and  by  no 
means  the  least  active  or  energetic  of  those  who  had 
controlled  and  operated  the  famous  "  under-ground 
railroad,"  I  had  the  Anti-Slavery  cause  very  much  at 
heart,  and  would  never  have  been  satisfied  until  that 
gigantic  curse  was  effectually  removed. 

Indeed,  during  the  whole  time  that  I  labored  for 
the  cause  of  the  Union,  the  dearest  object  I  had  in 
view  was  the  abolition  of  the  most  cruel  system  of 
oppression  that  ever  cursed  any  people — an  oppres- 
sion long  ago  so  justly  characterized  by  John  Wesley 
as  "  the  sum  of  all  villainy  "-—in  comparison  with 
which  Egyptian  bondage  appeared  simply  burden- 
some. All  these  hopes  were  dissipated  by  the  results 
of  the  late  campaign.  The  war  had  developed  into  a 


AND    ITS    DUTIES.  245 

reality  to  estimate.  "  The  Federal  Union — it  must 
and  shall  be  preserved !"  was  the  sentiment  that 
now  prevailed,  and  all  realized  that  the  time  for 
doubt  and  hesitation  had  gone  by. 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  duty  of  every  loyal 
heart — the  Republic  must  be  saved  at  whatever  cost. 

As  I  have  previously  stated,  my  connection  with 
General  McClellan  was  not  interrupted  by  this 
change  in  his  position.  By  my  own  preference,  as 
well  as  at  his  request,  I  accompanied  him  to  Washing- 
ton, and  cast  my  lot  with  those  who  were  rallying 
there  to  protect  and  defend  the  government  of  the 
United  States. 

Among  the  first  things  the  General  did,  after 
being  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  troops  around 
that  city,  was  to  organize  a  secret  service  force, 
under  my  management  and  control.  I  was  to  have 
such  strength  of  force  as  I  might  require  ;  my  head- 
quarters were  for  the  time  located  in  Washington. 
It  was  arranged  that  whenever  the  army  moved  I 
was  to  go  forward  with  the  General,  so  that  I  might 
always  be  in  close  communication  with  him.  My 
corps  was  to  be  continually  occupied  in  procuring, 
from  all  possible  sources,  information  regarding 
the  strength,  positions  and  movements  of  the  enemy. 
All  spies,  "  contrabands,"  deserters,  refugees  and 
prisoners  of  war,  coming  into  our  lines  from  the  front, 
were  to  be  carefully  examined  by  me,  and  their  state- 
ments taken  in  writing. 


246  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

This  was  the  first  real  organization  of  the  secret 
service.  How  much  benefit  was  rendered  to  the 
country  by  this  branch  of  the  army  will  probably 
never  be  known — the  destruction  of  nearly  all  my 
papers  in  the  great  fire  of  Chicago  preventing  their  full 
publication — but  that  our  operations  were  of  immense 
practical  value  to  the  Union  commander  is  a  fact 
attested  to  by  every  one  connected  with  the  leading 
movements  of  our  forces. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  city  of  Washington 
was  placed  under  martial  law — a  measure  deemed 
necessary  to  correct  the  serious  evils  which  existed, 
and  to  restore  order  in  the  city.  Colonel  Andrew 
Porter,  of  the  Sixteenth  United  States  Infantry,  was 
appointed  Provost-Marshal,  and  under  his  command 
was  placed  all  the  available  infantry,  a  battery,  and  a 
squadron  of  cavalry.  In  addition  to  these,  the  assist- 
ance of  a  detective  police  force  was  deemed  indispen- 
sable, and  in  answering  this  requirement  I  found 
work  enough  to  keep  myself  and  entire  corps  busy 
during  our  stay  in  Washington.  A  better  under- 
standing of  my  position  and  the  nature  of  my  duties 
at  this  time  may  be  gained  from  the  following  extracts 
from  a  letter  which  I  addressed  to  General  McClel- 
lan  when  the  organization  of  this  department  was  yet 
in  its  incipiency. 

"GENERAL  : 

"In  accordance  with  your  expressed  desire,  I  beg 
leave  to  submit  to  you  my  views  with  regard  to  the 


AND    ITS    DUTIES.  247 

duties  of  my  detective  police  force,  should  the 
services  of  the  same  be  required  by  the  government. 

"  In  order  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  such  a 
force,  it  is  highly  necessary  that  its  existence  should 
be  known  to  as  few  persons  as  possible.  It  is  an  ad- 
mitted and  self-evident  fact  that  the  movements  of 
the  various  departments  of  the  government,  civil  and 
military,  are  closely  watched,  and  it  is  beyond  a  doubt 
that  from  some  source  the  rebels  have  received  early, 
and  to  them,  valuable  notice  of  the  intended  actions 
of  the  government.  I  am  also  led  to  believe  that  the 
rebels  have  spies  who  are  in  the  employment  of  this 
government,  or  who  possess  facilities  for  acquiring 
information  from  the  civil  and  military  authorities,  or 
bureaus,  and  that  this  information  is  imparted  to 
others,  and  transmitted,  within  a  very  short  time,  to 
the  rebel  government.  Many  of  the  parties  thus 
leagued  with  the  enemy  are  said  to  be  persons  of 
wealth  and  position. 

"In  operating  with  my  detective  force,  I  shall 
endeavor  to  test  all  suspected  persons  in  various 
ways.  I  shall  seek  access  to  their  houses,  clubs,  and 
places  of  resort,  managing  that  among  the  members 
of  my  force  shall  be  ostensible  representatives  of 
every  grade  of  society,  from  the  highest  to  the  most 
menial.  Some  shall  have  the  entree  to  the  gilded 
salon  of  the  suspected  aristocratic  traitors,  and  be 
their  honored  guests,  while  others  will  act  in  the 
capacity  of  valets,  or  domestics  of  various  kinds,  and 
try  the  efficacy  of  such  relations  with  the  household 
to  gain  evidence.  Other  suspected  ones  will  be 
tracked  by  the  '  shadow '  detective,  who  will  follow 
their  every  foot-step,  and  note  their  every  action. 


248  THE    SECRET    SERVICE 

"  I  also  propose  to  employ  a  division  of  my  force 
for  the  discovery  of  any  secret  traitorous  organization 
which  may  be  in  existence  ;  and  if  any  such  society  is 
discovered,  I  will  have  my  operatives  become  mem- 
bers of  the  same,  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  the 
means  employed  in  transmitting  messages  through  the 
lines,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  learning,  if  possible, 
the  plans  of  the  rebels.  All  strangers  arriving  in  the 
city,  whose  associations  or  acts  may  lay  them  open  to 
suspicion,  will  be  subjected  to  a  strict  survillance. 
****** 

V  Another  and  more  dangerous  feature  of  the 
service  contemplated  to  be  rendered  to  the  govern- 
ment by  my  detectives,  is  that  of  entering  the  rebel 
lines,  and  endeavoring  to  obtain  accurate  information 
of  the  nature  of  their  defences,  the  number  of  troops 
under  their  command  at  various  points,  etc. 

"In  order  to  give  efficiency  to  this  movement, 
operations  should  be  commenced  in  Baltimore  as  well 
as  at  Washington. 

*****  * 

"  Considering  the  amount  of  labor  to  be  done  and 
the  necessity  of  immediate  action  on  my  part,  in  case 
these  plans  are  to  be  carried  out,  I  purpose  concen- 
trating my  entire  detective  force  of  both  sexes  into  this 
work.  * 

"  The  amount  of  force  necessary  to  carry  out  such 
an  undertaking  as  I  have  indicated,  will  necessarily 
be  very  large,  and  the  assumption  of  disguises  and 
characters  by  my  operatives,  will  be  a  very  important 
item  in  itself,"  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

My  views  were  carried  out  just  as  they  were  set 


AND     ITS    DUTIES. 


249 


forth  in  this  letter,  and  I  was  soon  hard  at  work  in 
my  efforts  to  "  regulate  "  the  District  of  Columbia. 
It  was  too  true  that  a  great  majority  of  the  local 
police  were  disloyal,  and  could  not  be  depended  upon 
to  faithfully  discharge  their  duties  to  the  government 
that  employed  them ;  therefore,  in  addition  to  my 
other  work,  I  exerted  myself  to  the  utmost  in  aiding 
the  municipal  authorities  to  reorganize  and  discipline 
the  police  of  the  district. 

Many  personal  incidents  worthy  of  note  occurred 
during  this  period,  but  there  was  one  which  I  recall 
at  this  moment  with  a  laugh  at  my  own  expense — an 
incident  in  which  I  was  reluctantly  compelled  to  oc- 
cupy the  wrong  side  of  a  guard-house  over  night,  and 
instead  of  capturing  a  prisoner  became  a  prisoner 
myself. 


GUARD-HOUSE    PRISONERS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  Female  Traitor. — Suspicious  Correspondence. — A  Close 
Watch  under  Difficulties. — I  am  Arrested. — Exposure  of 
the  Treason  of  a  Trusted  Officer. — A  Disgraced  Captain. 

DURING  the  earlier  stages  of  the  rebellion,  a 
number  of  Southern  sympathizers  were  domi- 
ciled in  the  city  of  Washington,  and  among  the  num- 
ber were  many  ladies  of  refinement  and  wealth,  from 
the  South,  who  had  been  leaders  of  fashion  and  of 
society  in  the  brilliant  days  of  previous  administra- 
tions. Many  of  these  ladies  were  extremely  fascinat- 
ing in  their  manners,  and  being  gifted  with  great  per- 
sonal beauty  and  with  rare  conversational  qualities, 
they  had  gathered  around  them  a  brilliant  circle  of 
acquaintances,  to  whom  they  dispensed  regal  hospital- 
ities and  most  delicate  courtesies. 

When  the  war  broke  out,  these  ladies  thoroughly 
identified  themselves  with  the  cause  of  the  South,  and 
upon  all  occasions  were  unreserved  in  the  expression 
of  opinions  favorable  to  the  rebels,  and  of  fervent 
hopefulness  for  the  eventual  success  of  the  disunion- 
ists.  But  little  attention  was  paid  to  these  grand 

dames  of  the  old  regime,  as  it  was  not  deemed  possi- 
[250] 


A    CLOSE     WATCH     UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  251 

ble  that  any  danger  could  result  from  the  utterances 
of  non-combatant  females,  nor  was  it  considered 
chivalrous  that  resolute  measures  should  be  adopted 
toward  those  of  the  weaker  sex. 

That  this  policy  was  a  mistaken  one  was  soon 
fully  proved,  and  when  it  was  discovered  that  these 
fine  ladies  were  secretly  giving  information  to  the 
enemy,  it  was  deemed  of  great  importance  that  such 
means  should  be  adopted  as  would  prevent  their 
treasonable  actions  from  being  made  valuable  to  the 
opponents  of  the  government,  and  who  were  seeking 
its  overthrow. 

From  information  received  from  reliable  sources, 
it  was  shown  that  the  rebel  authorities  were  as  fully 
conversant  with  the  plans  of  the  Union  commanders 
as  they  were  themselves.  That  they  knew  of  the 
position  of  every  regiment  and  brigade,  and  the  con- 
templated movements  of  the  commanders,  and  the 
time  of  proposed  action,  far  in  advance  of  any 
publicity  being  given  to  them,  and  when  the  utmost 
secrecy  was  the  only  true  passport  to  victory.  Indeed, 
it  was  openly  boasted  that  the  secret  information  given 
to  the  rebel  generals  had  been  mainly  the  cause  of 
the  defeat  of  our  armies  at  Bull  Run  and  Manassas. 

Upon  these  facts  being  fully  proven,  the  govern- 
ment resolved  to  effectually  prevent  a  continuance  of 
these  practices,  and  that  if  they  were  persisted  in,  the 
guilty  parties  should  either  be  confined  or  exiled  to 
the  more  congenial  climate  of  Dixie. 


252  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

My  department  was  in  its  infancy  when  the  event 
occurred  which  I  am  about  to  relate.  I  had  secured 
a  house  in  Washington,  and  had  gathered  around  me 
a  number  of  resolute,  trustworthy  men  and  discreet 
women,  who  were  devoted  to  the  cause  of  their 
country,  but  were  scarcely  in  such  a  condition  as  to 
move  properly  or  with  any  systematized  regularity. 
I  had  not  been  many  days  in  the  city  when  one  after- 
noon I  was  called  upon  by  the  Hon.  Thomas  A. 
Scott,  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  then  acting  as  the 
Assistant-Secretary  of  War,  who  desired  my  services 
in  watching  a  lady  whose  movements  had  excited 
suspicion,  and  who,  it  was  believed,  was  engaged  in 
corresponding  with  the  rebel  authorities,  and  furnish- 
ing them  with  much  valuable  information. 

This  lady  was  Mrs.  Rose  Greenhow,  a  Southern 
woman  of  pronounced  rebel  proclivities,  and  who  had 
been  unsparing  in  her  denunciation  of  the  "  Abolition 
North,"  and  who  had  openly  declared  that  "  instead 
of  loving  and  worshiping  the  old  flag  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,"  she  saw  "  in  it  only  the  symbol  of 
murder,  plunder,  oppression  and  shame."  Mrs. 
Greenhow  had  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the 
social  circles  of  the  capital,  and  was  personally 
acquainted  with  all  of  the  leading  men  of  the  country, 
many  of  whom  had  partaken  of  her  hospitality  and 
had  enjoyed  a  social  intercourse  that  was  both 
pleasurable  and  fascinating. 

She   had   now  become  an  avowed    hater   of   the 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  253 

Union,  and  it  was  feared,  from  her  previous  associa- 
tion with  officers  in  the  army,  that  she  was  using  her 
talents  in  procuring  information  from  them  which 
would  be  immediately  communicated  to  the  rebel 
government  at  Richmond. 

The  residence  of  Mrs.  Greenhow  was  situated  at 
the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  I  streets — quite  a 
fashionable  quarter  of  the  city,  and  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  White  House.  The  building,  while 
not  at  all  imposing  in  appearance,  was  large, 
roomy,  and  was  furnished  with  every  consideration 
for  wealth  and  tasteful  refinement.  It  was  a  two-story 
and  basement  brick  building,  the  parlors  of  which 
were  elevated  several  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
entrance  was  obtained  by  ascending  a  flight  of  steps 
in  the  center  of  the  edifice.  This  lady  was  a  widow, 
her  husband  having  died  some  years  before,  and 
being  possessed  of  considerable  means,  and  mingling 
with  the  highest  circles  of  Washington  society,  her 
home  was  the  resort  of  most  of  the  prominent  people 
of  the  city. 

The  instructions  of  the  Secretary  of  WTar  were, 
that  a  strict  watch  should  be  kept  upon  this  house, 
and  that  every  person  entering  or  leaving  the  same 
should  come  under  the  close  surveillance  of  my  men, 
who  should  endeavor  to  ascertain  who  they  were,  and 
if  they  attempted  in  any  manner  to  communicate  with 
any  suspicious  persons.  I  was  to  report  to  him  daily, 
and  to  continue  my  espionage  until  I  received  definite 


254  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

and  official  orders  for  its  discontinuance.  My  further 
instructions  were,  that  in  case  any  of  the  visitors  of 
Mrs.  Greenhow  should  attempt  to  pass  the  lines  of  our 
troops,  they  should  be  arrested  at  once,  and  a  rigor- 
ous search  of  their  persons  instituted,  in  order  that 
nothing  should  be  allowed  to  pass  through  without  a 
thorough  examination  by  the  Secretary  of  War  or 
Mr.  Scott. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Secretary  I  took  with 
me  two  of  my  men,  and  proceeded  to  the  vicinity  of 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Greenhow.  I  was  then  quite  a 
stranger  in  Washington,  and  localities  were  not  as 
familiar  to  me  as  they  afterward  became,  and  I  there- 
fore preferred  to  reconnoiter  by  daylight,  to  depend- 
ing upon  a  survey  after  nightfall. 

The  entire  day  had  been  dark,  gloomy  and  threat- 
ening ;  clouds  had  been  gathering  in  the  heavens,  and 
everything  indicated  the  imminence  of  a  severe  storm. 
As  I  left  my  headquarters,  a  slight  shower  of  rain  was 
falling,  which  I  knew  was  but  the  precursor  of  a  storm 
more  violent.  On  arriving  at  the  designated  locality 
I  found  everything  to  be  as  they  had  already  been 
described  to  me.  The  inside  shutters  to  the  windows 
were  closed,  and  no  sign  was  apparent  that  the  house 
was  occupied,  and  after  carefully  noting  the  situation 
and  the  exposed  condition  of  the  premises,  I  left  the 
two  men  within  a  convenient  distance  of  the  place, 
and  returned  for  the  additional  aid  which  I  thought 
might  be  needed.  Selecting  three  of  my  most  discreet 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  255 

men,  I  again  repaired  to  the  scene  of  operations. 
We  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  the  storm  burst  upon 
us  in  all  its  fury.  The  wind  blew  strong  and  chill, 
and  the  rain  fell  in  deluging  torrents.  Umbrellas 
were  a  useless  commodity,  and,  unprotected,  we  were 
compelled  to  breast  the  elements,  which  now  were 
warring  with  terrible  violence. 

Arriving  at  Mrs.  Greenhow's,  under  cover  of  the 
darkness  I  posted  my  men  in  such  positions  as  I  thought 
would  be  most  advantageous  for  our  purpose,  and 
then  calling  in  the  two  whom  I  had  left  there  during 
the  afternoon,  I  approached  to  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  house.  The  darkness  and  storm,  while 
decidedly  uncomfortable,  were  of  some  benefit  to  us, 
as  but  few  people  were  abroad,  and  these  paid  no  at- 
tention to  passing  events,  seeming  to  be  only  too 
anxious  to  reach  their  destination  and  to  escape  the 
pitiless  rain. 

The  blinds  at  the  windows  were  still  closed,  but  a 
light  was  observed  in  two  rooms  upon  the  parlor 
floor,  and  I  knew  that  the  house  was  occupied.  Of 
course  I  could  see  nothing  within,  as  my  view  was 
entirely  obstructed  by  the  closed  blinds,  and,  at  length, 
becoming  impatient  at  this  unprofitable  and  unsatis- 
factory waiting,  I  determined  to  obtain  a  glimpse,  at 
least,  of  the  interior,  and  to  ascertain,  if  possible, 
some  knowledge  of  its  occupants. 

The  parlor  windows,  through  which  the  lights 
were  gleaming,  were  too  high  from  the  ground  to  per- 


256  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

mit  me  to  see  within,  and  summoning  the  two  men  who 
were  awaiting  instructions  I  made  use  of  their  strong, 
broad  shoulders  in  a  manner  quite  novel  to  me,  and 
quite  ludicrous,  no  doubt,  to  a  passer-by  who  did  not 
understand  the  situation. 

Ranging  the  two  men  side  by  side  under  the 
broad  windows  in  front  of  the  house,  I  removed  my 
boots  and  was  soon  standing  upon  their  shoulders 
and  elevated  sufficiently  high  to  enable  me  to  accom- 
plish the  object  I  had  in  view.  I  was  now  on  a  level 
with  the  windows,  and  noiselessly  raising  the  sash 
and  turning  the  slats  of  the  blinds  I  obtained  a  full 
view  of  the  interior  of  the  room.  The  furniture  was 
rich  and  luxurious,  valuable  pictures  hung  upon  the 
walls,  and  several  pieces  of  statuary  and  various  arti- 
cles of  artistic  ornamentation  were  arranged  about  the 
apartment,  but  to  my  disapointment,  it  was  unoccu- 
pied. 

I  was  about  to  give  expression  to  my  chagrin  at 
this  discovery,  when  a  warning  "Sh!"  from  one  of 
my  sturdy  supporters  induced  me  to  be  silent. 
Some  one  was  approaching  the  house,  and  hastily 
clambering  down  from  my  perch,  we  hid  ourselves 
under  the  stoop  which  led  up  to  the  front  door. 
Scarcely  had  we  ensconced  ourselves  in  this  conven- 
ient shelter  when  we  heard  the  footsteps  of  the  new- 
comer, and  to  our  satisfaction,  he  stopped  in  front  of 
the  house,  and  ascending  the  steps  rang  the  bell  and 
in  a  short  time  was  admitted. 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  257 

By  this  time  we  were  drenched  to  the  skin — the 
rain  had  fallen  in  copious  showers  and  during  all  the 
time  we  had  been  exposed  to  its  dampening  influences 
— but  paying  but  little  heed  to  this,  we  again  took 
our  position  in  front  of  the  window,  and  I  was  soon 
remounted  upon  the  shoulders  of  my  operatives,  pre- 
pared to  take  notes  of  what  transpired. 

As  the  visitor  entered  the  parlor  and  seated  him- 
self-awaiting  the  appearance  of  the  lady  of  the  house, 
I  immediately  recognized  him  as  an  officer  of  the 
regular  army,  whom  I  had  met  that  day  for  the  first 
time.  He  was  a  Captain  of  infantry  and  was  in  com- 
mand of  one  of  the  stations  of  the  Provost-Marshal, 
and  not  desiring  to  divulge  the  real  name  of  the  gen- 
tleman, who  has  since  died,  I  will  call  him  Captain 
Ellison. 

He  was  a  tall,  handsome  man  of  a  commanding 
figure  and  about  forty  years  of  age.  He  had  re- 
moved his  cloak,  and  as  he  sat  there  in  his  blue  uni- 
form, and  in  the  full  glare  of  the  gaslight,  he  looked  a 
vertible  ideal  soldier.  As  I  watched  him  closely, 
however,  I  noticed  that  there  was  a  troubled,  restless 
look  upon  his  face;  he  appeared  ill  at  ease  and 
shifted  nervously  upon  his  chair,  as  though  impatient 
for  the  entrance  of  his  hostess.  In  a  few  moments 
Mrs.  Greenhow  entered  and  cordially  greeted  her 
visitor,  who  acknowledged  her  salutations  with  a 
courtly  bow,  while  his  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure  as 
he  gazed  upon  her. 
17 


258  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

Just  at  this  moment  I  again  received  a  warning 
from  my  supporters,  and  hastily  jumping  to  the 
ground,  we  hid  ourselves  until  the  pedestrians  had 
passed  out  of  sight  and  hearing.  When  I  resumed 
my  station  the  Captain  and  Mrs.  Greenhow  were 
seated  at  a  table  in  the  rear  part  of  the  room,  and 
their  conversation  was  carried  on  in  such  low  tones 
that,  in  consequence  of  the  storm  that  was  still  rag- 
ing, I  could  not  catch  but  fragmentary  sentences. 
At  last,  however,  accustoming  myself  to  the  noise, 
I  heard  enough  to  convince  me  that  this  trusted 
officer  was  then  and  there  engaged  in  betraying  his 
country,  and  furnishing  to  his  treasonably-inclined 
companion  such  information  regarding  the  disposi- 
tion of  our  troops  as  he  possessed. 

Presently,  he  took  from  an  inner  pocket  of  his 
coat  a  map  which,  as  he  held  it  up  before  the  light,  I 
imagined  that  I  could  identify  as  a  plan  of  the  forti- 
fications in  and  around  Washington,  and  which  also 
designated  a  contemplated  plan  of  attack. 

My  blood  boiled  with  indignation  as  I  witnessed 
this  scene,  and  I  longed  to  rush  into  the  room  and 
strangle  the  miscreant  where  he  sat,  but  I  dared  not 
utter  a  word,  and  was  compelled  to  stand  by,  with 
the  rain  pouring  down  upon  me,  and  silently  witness 
this  traitorous  proceeding. 

After  watching  their  movements  for  some  time, 
during  which  they  would  frequently  refer  to  the  map 
before  them,  as  though  pointing  out  particular  points 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  259 

or  positions,  I  was  again  compelled  to  hide  myself 
under  the  shelter  of  the  convenient  stoop,  and  when 
I  resumed  my  position  the  room  was  empty.  The 
delectable  couple  had  disappeared.  I  waited  impa- 
tiently for  more  than  an  hour,  taking  occasional 
glimpses  into  the  room  and  watching  for  their  re-ap- 
pearance. At  the  end  of  that  time  they  re-entered 
the  parlor  arm  in  arm,  and  again  took  their  seats. 

Again  came  the  warning  voice,  and  again  I  hastily 
descended,  and  as  the  retreating  figures  disappeared 
in  the  distance,  I  could  hear  the  front  door  open  and 
the  step  of  the  traitor  Captain  above  me. 

With  a  whispered  good-night,  and  something  that 
sounded  very  much  like  a  kiss,  he  descended  the 
steps,  and  then,  without  paying  any  attention  to  the 
fact  that  I  was  without  shoes,  I  started  in  pursuit  of 
him,  and  through  the  blinding  mist  and  pelting  storms 
kept  him  in  view  as  he  rapidly  walked  away.  It  was 
then  about  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  and  the  storm 
evinced  no  sign  of  a  discontinuance, 

I  was  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  city  at 
that  time  to  tell  in  what  direction  he  was  going,  but 
I  determined  to  ascertain  his  destination  before  I  left 
him.  I  was  compelled  to  keep  pretty  close  to  him, 
owing  to  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  several  times 
I  was  afraid  that  he  would  hear  the  footsteps  of  the 
man  who  accompanied  me — mine  I  was  confident 
would  not  be  detected  as,  in  my  drenched  stockings, 
I  crept  along  as  steathily  as  a  cat.  Twice,  I  imagined 


260  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

that  he  turned  around  as  though  suspecting  he  was 
followed,  but  as  he  did  not  stop  I  reassured  myself 
and  plodded  on.  I  could  not,  however,  disabuse  my 
mind  of  the  fear  that  I  had  been  seen,  I  could  not  re- 
lax my  vigilance,  and  I  resolved  to  take  my  chances 
of  discovery.  I  knew  who  my  man  was,  at  all  events, 
and  now  I  must  ascertain  where  he  was  going. 

As  we  reached  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  avenue 
and  Fifteenth  street  I  imagined  that  I  saw  a  revolver 
glistening  in  his  hand,  but  it  was  too  dark  for  me  to 
determine  that  fact  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  At 
this  point  he  passed  a  guard  on  duty,  and  quickly 
passed  into  a  building  immediately  in  advance  of 
me. 

This  movement  was  so  unexpected,  that  I  had  no 
time  to  turn  back,  and  I  was  so  close  to  him  that  it 
would  have  been  very  unwise  to  have  done  so,  but  I 
was  more  surprised  when,  as  I  reached  the  building 
into  which  the  Captain  had  disappeared,  I  was  sud- 
denly confronted  by  four  armed  soldiers,  who  rushed 
suddenly  out  upon  me,  with  fixed  bayonets  pointed  at 
my  breast. 

"  Halt,  or  I  fire  !"  called  out  the  officer  of  the 
guard. 

Realizing  that  an  attempt  at  resistance  or  escape 
would  be  both  foolish  and  useless,  I  attempted  to 
make  an  explanation.  All  to  no  purpose,  however.  I 
informed  them  that  I  had  been  out  late  and  had  lost  my 
way,  but  they  refused  to  listen,  and  ordered  my  com- 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  261 

panion  and  myself  to  march  at  once  into  the  guard- 
house. I  endeavored  to  make  the  best  of  my  misfor- 
tune, and  entering  the  building  we  seated  ourselves 
and  awaited  developments. 

After  waiting  for  about  half  an  hour,  I  was  in- 
formed that  my  presence  was  required  by  the  Captain; 
and  the  guard  conducted  me  up-stairs  to  his  room. 
As  I  entered,  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with  Captain 
Ellison,  who  was  pacing  excitedly  up  and  down  the 
floor  ;  stopping  immediately  in  front  of  me,  he  glared 
fiercely  at  me  for  some  minutes  without  uttering  a 
word. 

I  was  a  sorry  figure  to  look  at,  and  as  I  surveyed 
my  weather-soaked  and  mud-stained  garments,  and 
my  bare  feet,  I  could  scarcely  repress  a  laugh, 
although  I  was  deeply  angered  at  the  sudden  and 
unexpected  turn  affairs  had  taken. 

"What  is  your  name?"  imperatively  inquired  the 
Captain,  after  he  had  fully  recovered  himself,  and  had 
taken  his  seat  at  a  table  which  stood  in  the  room. 

"  E.  J.  Allen,"  I  replied. 

"  What  is  your  business  ?" 

"  I  have  nothing  further  to  say,"  I  coolly  replied, 
"and  I  decline  to  answer  any  further  questions." 

"  Ah  !"  said  the  Captain,  "  so  you  are  not  going  to 
speak.  Very  well,  sir,  we  will  see  what  time  will 
bring  forth." 

He  endeavored  to  impress  me  with  his  importance 
and  played  restlessly  with  the  handles  of  two  revol- 


262  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

vers  that  lay  before  him  on  the  table,  but  I  saw  too 
plainly  through  his  bravado,  and  I  knew  that  the 
scoundrel  was  really  alarmed. 

Finding  that  he  could  not  compel  me  to  answer 
his  questions,  he  turned  to  the  sergeant  and  or- 
dered : 

"  Take  this  man  to  the  guard-house,  but  allow  no 
one  whatever  to  converse  with  him ;  we  will  attend 
further  to  his  case  in  the  morning." 

I  made  a  profound  bow  to  the  discomfited  officer 
as  I  departed,  to  which  he  replied  with  an  oath,  and 
then  I  was  conducted  down-stairs  and  placed  among 
the  other  prisoners. 

I  found  myself  in  a  mixed  and  incongruous  as- 
sembly indeed.  Most  of  my  fellow-prisoners  were 
stupidly  drunk,  and  lay  about  the  floor  like  logs  ; 
others  were  laughing  and  singing,  while  some  were 
indulging  in  wild  threats  against  the  men  who 
arrested  them.  Here  I  found  my  companion,  who, 
representing  himself  as  a  Southern  man  had  already 
become  acquainted  with  two  secessionists,  who  were 
laughing  and  talking  about  what  they  would  have  to 
tell  when  they  obtained  their  release.  He  soon  in- 
gratiated himself  with  these  men,  and  before  daylight 
had  obtained  from  them  a  revelation  of  certain  mat- 
ters that  subsequently  proved  of  great  value  to  us  in 
our  operations. 

As  for  myself,  my  feelings  can  better  be  imagined 
than  described.  Inwardly  chafing  against  the  unfor- 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  263 

tunate  and  disagreeable  position  in  which  I  found 
myself,  I  was  deeply  concerned  regarding  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Greenhow. 
I  had  given  no  definite  orders  to  my  men,  and  they 
would  be  doubtful  as  to  what  course  to  pursue  until 
they  heard  from  me,  and  here  was  I  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  the  man  against  whom  I  had  grave  charges 
to  prefer,  and  whom  I  had  detected  in  treasonable 
correspondence.  Added  to  this,  my  wet  garments 
and  the  cold  atmosphere  of  the  room  in  which  I  was 
confined,  affected  me  with  a  degree  of  chilliness  that 
was  distressing  in  the  utmost.  I  shook  like  an  aspen, 
and  my  teeth  for  a  time  chattered  like  castanets.  It 
may  be  imagined  that  the  hilarity  of  my  fellow-pris- 
oners had  but  little  charm  for  me,  until  at  length  one 
of  the  guards  very  kindly  brought  me  a  blanket  and 
an  overcoat,  which  I  wrapped  about  me,  and  soon  be- 
gan to  feel  more  comfortable. 

Despite  the  aggravating  circumstances  under 
which  I  suffered,  I  could  not  refrain  from  smiling  at 
the  ridiculous  appearance  I  must  have  presented  as  I 
stood  before  the  irate  Captain  who  had  caused  my 
arrest.  My  hat  was  battered  down  over  my  face,  and 
my  clothing  was  spattered  with  mud  from  head  to 
foot,  and  were  dripping  with  water  as  I  stood  there. 
One  might  more  readily  imagine  that  I  had  been 
fished  out  of  the  Potomac  than  that  I  was  the  chief 
of  the  secret  service  of  the  government,  in  the  per- 
formance of  duty. 


264  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

By  the  Captain's  orders  I  was  prevented  from 
conversing  with  my  fellow-prisoners,  so  I  turned  my 
attention  to  the  guard.  My  chief  desire  was  to  ap- 
prise Mr.  Scott  of  my  captivity,  as  early  as  possible, 
in  order  that  my  release  could  be  effected  without 
unnecessary  delay,  and  I  therefore  applied  myself  to 
the  entertainment  of  my  jailer. 

The  soldier  who  had  charge  of  me  I  soon  found 
to  be  a  jolly,  kind-hearted  fellow,  and  I  amused  him 
immensely  by  relating  some  ridiculous  anecdotes 
which  I  had  heard,  and  before  the  time  came  for  him 
to  be  relieved  I  had  entirely  won  his  favor. 

Seizing  a  favorable  opportunity  I  asked  him  if  he 
would  deliver  a  note  for  me  after  his  time  for  stand- 
ing guard  had  expired,  at  the  same  time  offering  to 
repay  him  for  his  trouble.  To  this  he  readily  as- 
sented, and  by  the  dim  light  afforded  us  I  managed 
to  scribble  a  few  hasty  lines  to  the  Assistant  Secre- 
tary of  War,  informing  him  of  my  imprisonment,  and 
requesting  him  to  order  my  release  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, and  in  a  manner  which  would  not  excite  the  sus- 
picion of  Captain  Ellison. 

At  about  six  o'clock  the  guards  were  changed, 
and  my  messenger  departed  upon  his  mission.  He 
was  fortunate  enough  to  find  the  servants  of  Mr. 
Scott  astir,  and  informing  them  that  his  message  was 
of  extreme  public  importance,  he  had  it  delivered  to 
the  Secretary  in  his  chamber  at  once.  At  seven 
o'clock  the  guard  returned,  and  coming  to  the  door, 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  265 

he  conversed  a  few  minutes  with  the  soldier  who  had 
succeeded  him,  when  I  called  out : 

"  How  is  the  weather  outside  ?" 

"  All  right,  sir  !"  replied  the  man,  with  a  sly  wink, 
and  then  I  knew  that  my  note  had  been  safely  deliv- 
ered, and  my  liberation  simply  a  question  of  time. 

At  about  half-past  eight  o'clock  the  sergeant  of 
the  guard  came  to  the  door  with  a  paper  in  his  hand, 
and  called  out : 

"  E.  J.  Allen  and  William  Ascot !" 

Ascot  was  the  name  of  my  operative  who  had 
been  arrested  with  me,  and  with  whom  I  had  not 
exchanged  a  word  since  I  had  been  imprisoned.  We 
responded  to  our  names,  and  following  the  sergeant, 
were  again  taken  to  the  room  occupied  by  Captain 
Ellison. 

"The  Secretary  of  War  has  been  informed  of 
your  arrest,  and  you  will  be  conducted  to  him  at 
once,  and  then  we  shall  see  whether  you  will  remain 
silent  any  longer." 

The  manner  of  the  Captain  was  imperious  and 
commanding,  and  I  laughed  to  myself  as  I  thought 
of  the  possible  result  of  our  interview  with  the  Secre- 
tary. The  Captain  led  the  way,  and  in  the  company 
of  four  soldiers,  we  left  the  place,  arriving  in  a  few 
minutes  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Scott.  He  was 
awaiting  our  arrival,  and  as  we  entered  the  room  he 
ordered  the  guard  to  release  me,  and  directed  me  to 
accompany  him  to  his  room.  I  followed  him  imme- 


266  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

diately,  and  as  the  door  closed  behind  us,  he  burst 
into  a  hearty  laugh  at  my  uncouth  and  unkempt  ap- 
pearance. I  was  a  sorry  spectacle  indeed,  and  as  I 
surveyed  myself  in  the  mirror,  I  joined  in  his  merri- 
ment, fora  more  realistic  picture  of  a  "drowned  rat" 
I  never  beheld. 

I  at  once  detailed  what  had  transpired  on  the  pre- 
ceding night,  and  as  I  related  the  interview  which  I  had 
witnessed  between  Captain  Ellison  and  Mrs.  Green- 
how,  his  brow  became  clouded,  and  starting  to  his 
feet,  he  paced  the  room  rapidly  and  excitedly. 

"  Mrs.  Greenhow  must  be  attended  to.  She  is 
becoming  a  dangerous  character.  You  will  therefore 
maintain  your  watch  upon  her,  and  should  she  be 
detected  in  attempting  to  convey  any  information 
outside  of  the  lines,  she  must  be  arrested  at  once. 
And  now  we  will  attend  to  Captain  Ellison." 

Tapping  a  bell  which  stood  upon  his  table,  he 
ordered  : 

"  Request  Captain  Ellison  to  come  here." 

As  the  Captain  made  his  appearance,  he  seemed 
to  be  very  ill  at  ease,  and  gazed  searchingly  at  Mr. 
Scott  and  myself,  as  though  he  suspected  something 
was  wrong. 

"  Captain,"  said  Mr.  Scott,  addressing  him,  "  will 
you  give  me  the  particulars  of  the  arrest  of  this 
man  ?"  pointing  to  me. 

The  Captain  answered  that  he  had  gone  to  visit 
some  friends,  who  resided  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 


UNDER    DIFFIC  UL  TIES.  26  7 

in  the  evening,  and  on  returning  at  a  late  hour,  he 
had  noticed  that  he  was  being  followed,  and  supposing 
me  to  be  a  foot-pad  or  a  burglar,  had  ordered  my 
arrest. 

"  Did  you  see  any  one  last  evening  who  is  inimi- 
cal to  the  cause  of  the  government  ?" 

The  Captain  became  flushed  and  nervous  under 
this  direct  question.  He  darted  a  quick  glance  at 
me,  and  after  hesitating  for  some  moments  he 
answered  in  a  faltering  voice  : 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  have  seen  no  person  of  that  char- 
acter." 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  of  that  ?"  sternly  inquired 
Mr.  Scott. 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"In  that  case,  Captain,  you  will  please  consider 
yourself  under  arrest,  and  you  will  at  once  surrender 
your  sword  to  Captain  Mehaffy." 

The  Captain  was  completely  unmanned  as  these 
words  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  Secretary,  and  sinking 
into  a  chair,  he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  seemingly 
overcome  by  his  emotions. 

But  little  remains  to  be  told.  Captain  Ellison 
was  arrested,  and  a  search  among  his  effects  dis- 
covered sufficient  evidence  to  prove  that  he  was 
engaged  in  furnishing  information  to  the  enemy,  and 
he  was  confined  for  more  than  a  year  in  Fort 
McHenry.  He  was  finally  released,  but  broken  in 
spirit  and  in  health,  and  fully  realizing  the  disgrace 


268  A     CLOSE     WATCH 

he  had  brought  upon  himself,  he  died  shortly  after- 
ward. 

After  leaving  the  residence  of  Mr.  Scott,  I  took  a 
carriage  and  went  directly  to  my  headquarters,  and 
dispatched  new  men  to  relieve  those  who  had  been 
on  duty  all  night,  and  who  had  been  so  anxious  for 
my  safety  that  they  had  sent  several  times  to  make 
inquiries,  and  who  were  unable  to  account  for  my 
absence.  They  had,  I  was  rejoiced  to  learn,  taken 
care  to  recover  my  shoes,  which  I  was  afraid  would 
be  found  by  some  one  connected  with  the  house,  and 
thus  lead  to  the  suspicion  that  the  premises  were  the 
object  of  espionage. 

We  continued  our  watching  of  the  premises,  and 
during  its  continuance  a  number  of  prominent  gentle- 
men were  received  by  the  fascinating  widow,  and 
among  the  number  were  several  earnest  and  sincere 
Senators  and  Representatives,  whose  loyalty  was 
above  question,  and  who  were,  perhaps,  in  entire 
ignorance  of  the  lady's  true  character. 

Almost  every  evening  one.  particular  individual 
was  observed  to  call  at  the  house,  and  his  visits  invari- 
ably were  of  long  duration.  He  was  therefore  made 
the  object  of  especial  attention  by  me,  and  in  a  short 
time  I  succeeded  in  learning  his  true  character,  and  the 
nature  of  the  business  which  he  followed.  Ostensibly 
an  attorney,  I  ascertained  that  he  was  undoubtedly  en- 
gaged in  the  vocation  of  a  Southern  spy,  and  that  he 
had  a  number  of  men  and  women  under  him  by  whom 


UNDER    DIFFICULTIES.  269 

the  information  was  forwarded  to  the  rebel  authori- 
ties. This  gentleman,  therefore,  found  himself,  in  a 
very  few  days,  a  prisoner  of  war. 

About  eight  days  after  this,  orders  were  given  for 
the  arrest  of  Mrs.  Greenhow  herself.  She  was  confined 
in  her  own  house,  and  all  her  papers  were  seized  and 
handed  over  to  the  custody  of  the  Department  of 
War.  The  intention  of  the  government  was  to  treat 
her  as  humanely  and  considerately  as  possible,  but 
disdaining  all  offers  of  kindness  or  courtesy,  the  lady 
was  discovered  on  several  occasions  attempting  to 
send  messages  to  her  rebel  friends,  and  finally  her  re- 
moval to  the  Old  Capitol  prison  was  ordered,  and  she 
was  conveyed  there,  where  she  was  imprisoned  for 
several  months.  After  this  she  was  conveyed  across 
the  lines,  and  reached  in  safety  the  rebel  capital, 
where  she  was  greeted  by  the  more  congenial  spirits 
of  rebeldom. 

Mrs.  Greenhow  afterwards  went  to  Europe,  in 
some  trustworthy  capacity  for  the  Confederacy,  and 
while  there  was  noted  for  her  bitter  animosity  to  the 
Union,  and  her  vituperation  of  Northern  men  and 
measures,  but  retribution  maybe  said  to  have  followed 
her,  and  some  time  subsequent  to  this,  having  returned 
again  to  the  South,  she  made  her  way  to  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  from  thence  she  took  passage  upon  a  blockade- 
runner,  upon  some  secret  mission  for  the  Confederacy. 
Her  person  was  loaded  down  with  gold,  which  was 
packed  in  a  belt  close  to  her  body.  After  passing 


270  A     CLOSE     WATCH     UNDER    DIFFICULTIES. 

Fort  Sumter,  a  severe  storm  arose,  and  the  little 
vessel  began  to  pitch  and  roll  in  the  angry  waters, 
which  swept  in  huge  waves  over  her  deck.  Mrs. 
Greenhow  was,  I  was  since  informed,  washed  over- 
board, and  the  weight  upon  her  person  carried  her 
down  and  she  was  lost.  No  trace  of  her  waS  ever 
afterwards  discovered. 


A   FEMALE   SPY. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Timothy  Webster  in  Baltimore. — An  Encounter  with  a  Fire- 
eater. —  Webster  Defends  Himself. —  Treason  Rampant 
in  the  Monumental  City. 

TH  E  city  of  Baltimore  at  this  time  was  also  under 
military  rule.  It  was  garrisoned  by  United 
States  troops,  commanded  successively  by  Butler, 
Banks  and  Dix,  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  respect 
and  obedience  to  the  laws,  and  of  presenting  any 
violations  of  order  within  its  limits,  by  the  malignant 
and  traitorous  element  of  the  people.  Marshal 
Kane,  the  Chief  of  Police,  as  well  as  the  active  mem- 
bers of  the  police  commissioners,  were  arrested  and 
held  in  custody  at  Fort  McHenry,  because  of  the 
alleged  encouragement  and  protection  which  were 
given  to  those  unlawful  combinations  of  men  who 
were  secretly  aiding  in  numerous  ways  the  people  at 
war  with  the  government.  General  Banks  appointed 
a  Provost-Marshal  for  the  proper  execution  of  the 
laws,  in  conjunction  with  the  subordinate  officers  of 
the  police  department.  This  condition  of  things  was 
of  course  a  direct  result  of  the  great  riot  of  the  igth 
of  April,  and  the  intention  was  to  curb  those 
mutinous  spirits,  whose  passions  otherwise  would 

[271] 


272  AN    ENCOUNTER 

have  led  them  into  committing  all  sorts  of  crimes  and 
outrages  against  the  government.  Notwithstanding 
these  measures,  however,  the  disturbing  element  was 
not  by  any  means  passive  and  inert,  although  appear- 
ances may  have  warranted  such  a  conclusion.  Secret 
bands  of  conspirators  were  still  in  existence,  and 
were  working  assiduously  for  the  advancement  of  the 
Southern  cause. 

By  direction  of  General  McClellan,  I  sent  several 
of  my  best  operatives  to  Baltimore,  chief  among 
whom  was  Timothy  Webster,  with  whom  the  others 
were  to  co-operate  whenever  their  assistance  were 
required  by  him.  The  principal  object  in  this  was  to 
enable  Webster  to  associate  with  the  secessionists  of 
that  city,  and  by  becoming  familiar  and  popular  with 
them,  to  pave  his  way  for  an  early  trip  into  the  rebel 
lines. 

During  his  residence  in  Baltimore  he  was  directed 
to  represent  himself  as  a  gentleman  of  means  and 
leisure,  and  to  enable  him  the  better  to  carry  out  this 
idea,  I  provided  him  with  a  span  of  fine  horses  and  a 
carriage,  for  his  own  pleasure.  He  made  his  home 
at  Miller's  Hotel,  lived  in  good  style,  and  in  his  own 
irresistible  way  he  set  about  establishing  himself  in 
the  good  graces  of  a  large  number  of  people,  of  that 
class  whose  confidence  it  was  desirable  to  obtain. 
This  task  was  made  comparatively  easy  by  the  fact 
that  he  already  had  numerous  acquaintances  in  the 
city,  who  introduced  him  about  with  great  enthu- 


WITH    A     FIRE-EATER.  273 

siasm,  representing  him  to  be — as  they  really  believed 
he  was — a  gentleman  whose  whole  heart  and  soul  was 
in  the  cause  of  the  South.  Thus,  by  easy  stages,  he 
soon  reached  the  distinction  of  being  the  center  and 
principal  figure  of  an 'admiring  crowd.  Before  a 
week  had  elapsed  he  had  become  a  quietly-recognized 
leader  in  the  clique  with  which  he  associated,  and  soon 
regarded  as  a  man  of  superior  judgment  and  power  in 
all  matters  relating  to  political  and  state  affairs. 

During  fair  weather  he  would  frequently  drive 
out  with  one  or  more  of  his  friends,  and  his  hand- 
some equipage  became  well  known  on  the  streets, 
and  at  the  race-course.  He  was  introduced  into  the 
houses  of  many  warm  sympathizers  with  the  South, 
and  by  his  agreeable  and  fascinating  manners  he  be- 
came a  favorite  .with  the  female  members  of  the 
family.  Through  all,  he  was  apparently  an  earnest 
and  consistent  advocate  of  Southern  rights,  never 
overdoing  the  matter  by  any  exhibition  of  strained 
excitement  or  loud  avowals,  but  always  conversing 
on  the  subject  with  an  air  of  calm  conviction,  using 
the  strongest  arguments  he  could  invent  in  support 
of  his  pretended  views.  In  compliance  with  the 
request  of  many  of  his  Southern  friends,  he  and  John 
Scully,  another  of  my  operatives,  went  to  a  photo- 
graph gallery  one  day  and  had  their  pictures  taken, 
holding  a  large  Confederate  flag  between  them, 
while  Webster  wore  the  rebel  hat  which  the  doughty 
Dr.  Burton  had  presented  to  him  in  Memphis. 

18 


274  AN    ENCOUNTER 

During  all  this  time  Webster  was  gathering  infor- 
mation from  every  quarter  concerning  the  secret 
plots  and  movements  of  the  disloyal  citizens,  and 
promptly  conveying  it  to  me,  and  for  this  purpose  he 
made  frequent  trips  to  Washington  for  verbal  instruc- 
tions, and  to  report  in  person  the  success  of  his 
operations.  Sometimes  he  would  be  accompanied  by 
one  or  more  of  his  intimate  associates,  and  these 
occasions  were  not  without  profit,  for  when  thus 
accompanied,  although  necessarily  prevented  from 
reaching  my  office,  he  was  enabled  to  increase  his 
acquaintance  with  the  traitorous  element  of  Washing- 
ton, and  finally  was  enabled  to  unmask  several  guilty 
ones  whose  loyalty  had  never  been  impeached  or 
suspected. 

Once,  on  returning  to  Baltimore,  after  a  longer 
absence  than  usual,  his  friends  greeted  him  warmly. 

"  By  Jove,  Webster,  we  had  begun  to  think  you 
were  in  trouble,"  one  of  them  exclaimed. 

"  No  danger  of  that,"  was  the  laughing  response. 
"  I  have  no  intention  of  being  trapped  before  I  fulfill 
my  mission.  I  have  some  valuable  work  to  do  for 
the  Southern  Confederacy  before  the  Yankees  can 
get  the  upper  hand  of  me." 

They  were  in  a  saloon — a  favorite  rendezvous  of 
these  men — and  Webster  was  in  the  midst  of  his  crowd. 
He  was  telling  them  about  some  imaginary  "points" 
which  he  had  picked  up  in  Washington,  and  assuring 
them  he  would  in  some  manner  transmit  the  informa- 


WITH    A    FIRE-EATER.  275 

tion  he  had  received  to  the  rebel  commanders  before 
he  was  a  week  older.  While  thus  entertaining  his 
hearers,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  man  who  en- 
tered the  saloon  with  a  swaggering  gait,  his  hands  in 
his  pockets,  and  his  hat  tipped  over  one  side  of  his 
head.  He  knew  this  man  as  a  ruffian  and  bully  of 
the  worst  stripe,  Bill  Zigler,  and  one  of  the  ringleaders 
of  the  mob  that  had  attacked  the  Union  troops  on 
the  i gth  of  April;  consequently,  he  entertained  a 
wholesome  contempt  for  the  fellow,  and  avoided  him 
as  much  as  possible. 

He  was  much  surprised  when  the  new-comer 
stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  exclaimed, 
gruffly  : 

"  Hello,  Webster !  You're  here,  are  you  ?  By 
G — d,  I've  been  looking  for  you  !" 

Webster  turned  toward  him  a  look  of  surprised  in- 
quiry. 

"  Did  you  speak  to  me,  sir  ?"  he  asked,  quietly. 

"Yes.  I  spoke  to  you,  sir!"  mimicked  Bill 
Zigler,  in  a  bullying  voice.  "  I  say  I've  been  lookin' 
for  you,  and  when  I've  spoke  my  piece  I  reckon 
this  town  will  be  too  hot  to  hold  you  many  hours 
longer." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  protested  Webster. 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  the  ruffian,  a  glitter  of 
triumph  and  hatred  in  his  eyes.  "  You've  been 
playin'  it  fine  on  the  boys  here  for  the  last  three 
weeks,  but  d — n  you,  I'll  spoil  your  little  game  !" 


276  AN    ENCOUNTER 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  demanded  Webster,  his 
anger  beginning  to  rise.  "  You  speak  in  riddles." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  mean  !"  blustered  the  bully. 
"  Gentlemen,"  turning  toward  the  crowd,  and  point- 
ing his  finger  toward  the  detective  ;  "  that  man  is 
leagued  with  the  Yankees,  and  comes  among  you  as 
a  spy." 

There  was  a  general  start  of  astonishment,  and 
Webster  himself  was  dumfounded. 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  Zigler,"  spoke  up  one  of  the  men, 
after  a  death-like  silence  of  several  moments.  "  You 
must  be  drunk  to  make  such  an  assertion  as  that. 
There  is  not  a  better  Southern  man  in  Baltimore 
than  Mr.^  Webster." 

"  I  am  as  sober  as  the  soberest  man  here,"  declared 
Zigler ;  "  and  I  reckon  I  know  what  I  am  talking  about. 
I  saw  that  fellow  in  Washington  yesterday." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that  you  saw  me  in  Washing- 
ton yesterday,"  said  Webster,  quietly,  "for  I  certainly 
was  there.  J  have  just  been  telling  these  gentlemen 
what  I  saw  and  heard  while  there." 

"  Maybe  you  have,  but  I'll  bet  ten  dollars  you 
didn't  tell  'em  that  you  had  a  conversation  with  the 
chief  of  the  detective  force  while  you  were  there  !" 

Webster,  it  must  be  admitted,  was  wholly  unpre- 
pared for  this,  but  he  realized  in  an  instant  that  the 
bully's  insinuation  must  •  be  denied  and  overcome. 
With  an  assumption  of  uncontrollable  rage  he  cried 
out  "You  are  a  liar  and  a  scoundrel !" 


WITH    A    FIRE-EATER.  277 

"  I  am,  eh  ?"  hissed  Zigler  through  his  clenched 
teeth,  and  before  any  one  could  make  a  movement 
to  restrain  him  he  sprang  furiously  toward  Web- 
ster. 

Quick  as  was  this  movement,  however,  Webster 
was  prepared  for  him.  Like  a  flash  of  lightning  his 
fist  flew  straight  out  from  the  shoulder,  striking  the 
ruffian  between  the  eyes,  with  a  force  that  would  have 
felled  an  ox.  The  man  reeled  half-way  across  the 
room,  and  fell  prostrate  between  two  tables. 

With  a  roar  like  that  of  a  baffled  beast,  Zigler 
gathered  himself  up  and  rushed  at  Webster,  flourish- 
ing above  his  head  a  murderous-looking  knife.  But, 
as  if  by  magic,  a  revolver  appeared  in  the  detective's 
hand,  the  muzzle  of  which  covered  his  adversary's 
heart. 

"  Stop  !"  cried  Webster,  in  a  tone  of  stern  com- 
mand. "  Hold  your  distance,  you  miserable  cur,  or 
your  blood  will  be  upon  your  own  head !" 

Zigler  involuntarily  recoiled.  The  frowning  muz- 
zle of  the  pistol,  the  unmistakable  meaning  of  those 
words,  and  the  deadly  purpose  expressed  in  the  cold, 
calm  face  before  him,  were  too  much  even  for  his 
boasted  bravery.  He  turned  pale  and  drew  back, 
muttering  and  growling. 

"  Coward  !"  exclaimed  Webster,  "  if  I  served  you 
right  I  would  shoot  you  down  like  a  dog ;  and  I  am 
afraid  I  can't  resist  the  temptation  to  do  so  anyway, 
if  you  don't  immediately  leave  the  room.  Go !  and 


278  AN    ENCOUNTER 

in  future  be  careful  who  you  accuse  of  being  in  league 
with  the  accursed  Yankees." 

By  this  time  a  number  of  the  other  men  had  re- 
covered from  their  astonishment,  and  they  immedi- 
ately joined  their  threats  to  those  of  Webster,  com- 
manding Zigler  to  leave  the  saloon  at  once,  if  he 
desired  to  "  save  his  bacon." 

Zigler  did  not  dare  to  disobey.  Sullenly  putting 
up  his  knife,  and  muttering  curses  on  the  whole 
crowd,  he  slunk  out,  stopping  at  the  door  long 
enough  to  glance  back  at  Webster,  with  the  exclama- 
tion : 

"  I'll  fix  you  yet,  d — n  you  !" 

When  he  was  gone,  Webster  said : 

"  I  cannot  conceive  what  that  fellow  has  against 
me,  that  he  should  try  to  defame  my  character  by  such 
an  accusation." 

Several  of  the  men  broke  into  a  derisive  laugh. 

"  I'd  as  soon  suspect  Jeff  Davis  of  being  a  Yankee 
spy,"  said  one,  with  a  boisterous  guffaw. 

"  Lord,  Webster,"  spoke  up  another,  "you  needn't 
calculate  that  anything  that  fellow  can  say  is  going  to 
injure  you  with  the  people  here." 

"  I  reckon  Zigler  is  mad  because  you  won't 
clique  in  with  him  and  his  gang,"  said  a  third.  "  No- 
body takes  any  stock  in  him.  It  would  have  been 
considered  a  good  riddance  if  your  pistol  had  gone  off 
while  it  covered  his  heart.  Bah  !  he  isn't  worth  a 
thought.  Come,  boys,  let's  licker." 


WITH    A    FIRE-EATER.  279 

And  the  affair  ended  in  a  witty  cross-fire  of  jokes, 
frequent  explosions  of  hearty  laughter,  and  numerous 
bumpers  of  sparkling  wine. 

So  far  from  proving  disastrous  to  Webster  or  his 
mission,  this  little  episode  with  Bill  Zigler  rather 
elevated  him  in  the  estimation  of  his  companions. 
The  neat  knock-down  with  which  he  had  met  the 
bully's  unprovoked  assault ;  his  air  of  virtuous  in- 
dignation in  resenting  the  imputation  of  disloyalty 
to  the  South,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  had  de- 
feated and  put  to  flight  a  man  who  was  much  feared 
among  his  fellows,  only  won  for  him  new  laurels,  and 
caused  him  to  be  regarded  as  brave  as  he  was  loyal. 
His  intimate  acquaintances  reposed  such  firm  faith  in 
him,  that  not  one  of  them  entertained  for  a  moment 
the  thought  that  there  might  possibly  be  a  grain  of 
justice  in  Zigler's  accusation. 

One  morning,  not  long  after  this  little  episode, 
Webster  left  his  hotel  to  walk  down  town,  when  he 
noticed  that  there  was  some  unusual  excitement  on 
the  streets.  On  every  corner  on  Baltimore  street, 
from  the  Exchange  office,  large  numbers  of  men  were 
standing  in  groups,  evidently  absorbed  in  some  par- 
ticular topic  of  conversation. 

While  wondering  what  all  this  meant,  the  detec- 
tive was  accosted  by  a  man  named  Sam  Sloan,  one  of 
the  most  faithful  of  his  adherents. 

"  Webster,  I  was  just  going  up  to  see  you.  Have, 
you  heard  the  news  ?" 


28o  AN    ENCOUNTER 

"  I  have  heard  nothing,  Sam,"  was  the  reply.  "  Is 
there  a  new  sensation  this  morning  ?" 

"  Another  of  Lincoln's  outrages,"  said  Sloan, 
with  an  indignant  oath.  "  Major  Brown,  Ross 
Winans,  and  several  others  were  arrested  last  night, 
and  taken  to  Fort  McHenry." 

"What  for?" 

"  For  no  other  purpose,  I  suppose,  than  to  break 
up  the  election,  which  is  to  take  place  next  month." 

"  But  how  can  that  interfere  with  the  election  ?" 

"  By  making  us  all  afraid  to  go  to  the  polls,  or 
speak  our  minds." 

The  two  walked  down  the  street  together,  'and 
dropped  into  a  drug  store,  which  was  known  as  one 
of  the  resorts  of  the  unterrified.  There  they  found 
a  number  of  men  conversing  somewhat  excitedly. 
The  proprietor,  a  Mr.  Rogers,  turned  toward  the  new- 
comers and  said  : 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Webster ;  we  were  just  talk- 
ing over  last  night's  proceedings." 

"  It  beats  anything  I  ever  heard  of,"  said  Web- 
ster, warmly.  "But  what  can  we  do  ?" 

"  Nothing  just  now,"  returned  Rogers  ;  •'  but  I 
think  there  will  soon  be  a  time  when  we  will  have  a 
chance  to  do  something.  In  the  meantime,  gentle- 
men, we  must  make  up  our  minds  to  say  nothing. 
We  have  all  been  too  free  with  our  tongues.  Here- 
after, we  must  keep  mum,  or  we  will  all  get  into  Fort 
McHenry." 


WITH    A     FIRE-EATER.  281 

"  We  must  just  lay  low,  and  wait  till  Jeff  crosses 
the  Potomac,"  said  one  of  the  loungers. 

"  If  we  only  had  arms,"  said  Webster,  musingly. 

"  Arms  !"  echoed  Rogers  ;  "  why,  sir,  we  have 
from  five  to  six  thousand  stand  of  arms  right  here  in 
Baltimore." 

"  That  may  be  true,"  said  Webster,  "  but  nobody 
seems  to  know  where  they  are." 

"  I  am  satisfied  they  will  turn  up  at  the  right 
time,"  said  Rogers.  "  Marshal  Kane,  before  he  was 
arrested,  put  them  in  the  hands  of  men  who  will  take 
good  care  of  them  until  they  are  wanted." 

"  And  let  us  hope  they  will  be  wanted  inside  of 
two  weeks,"  put  in  Sloan.  "  We  can  afford  to  be 
quiet  now,  boys,  but  when  the  Southern  army  comes 
this  way,  we'll  rise  ten  thousand  strong,  and  help 
take  Washington." 

The  opinion  seemed  to  have  fixed  itself  in  the 
minds  of  nearly  all  the  Southern  sympathizers  in  the 
city,  that  in  a  very  brief  space  of  time,  three  or  four 
weeks  at  the  utmost  limit,  Baltimore  would  be  occu- 
pied by  rebel  soldiers,  and  Jeff  Davis  would  be  there 
in  person. 

"  One  thing  is  certain,"  said  Webster,  firmly. 
"  If  this  thing  goes  on  much  longer,  there  will  be  a 
general  uprising  one  of  these  days,  and  the  streets  of 
Baltimore  will  run  with  blood  a  thousand  times  worse 
than  they  did  on  the  igth  of  April." 

"You  are    right,  there,"  said  Rogers;    "but  for 


282  AN    ENCOUNTER     WITH    A    FIRE-EATER. 

heaven's  sake  don't  let  any  one  outside  of  your  circle 
hear  you  use  that  expression,  or  you  will  be  the  next 
one  in  limbo." 

"  If  they  want  me,  now  is  their  time,"  replied  the 
detective,  with  a  smile,  "  for  I  have  made  up  my  mind 
to  undertake  a  journey  down  into  southern  Mary- 
land and  Virginia,  at  an  early  day." 

"  The  devil  you  have  !  You  will  find  that  a  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous  undertaking." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  shall  attempt  it.  I  find  that  if  I 
can  make  the  trip  successfully  I  may  be  of  service  to 
some  of  our  people  here,  by  carrying  letters  and  mes- 
sages to  their  friends  and  relatives,  with  whom  they 
are  unable  to  communicate  in  any  other  way." 

Webster  made  this  intention  known  to  all  of  his 
associates,  and  gave  them  to  understand  that  he  de- 
sired to  sell  his  horses  and  carriage  before  leaving. 
The  sale  was  accomplished  in  a  manner  that  seemed 
legitimate  enough  to  all,  though  it  was  a  mere  pre- 
tense. One  of  my  operatives,  whom  I  sent  to  Balti- 
more for  that  purpose,  made  a  sham  purchase  of  the 
team  and  turned  it  over  to  me  in  Washington. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Webster  Makes  a  Journey  to  the  South. — A  Secret  Organiza- 
tion.— The  "Knights  of  Liberty." — Webster  Becomes  a 
Member. — A  Sudden  Intrusion  of  the  Military. —  The 
Conspiracy  Broken  Up. 

IN  accordance  with  my  instructions,  Webster  com- 
menced his  tour  through  southern  Maryland, 
on  Thursday,  September  26th.  He  was  accompanied 
by  John  Scully,  who  had  been  assisting  him  in  his 
Baltimore  operations,  and  they  followed  a  line  of 
travel  which  I  laid  out  for  them.  Taking  passage  on 
the  steamboat  "  Mary  Washington,"  they  baffled  the 
officers  who  stopped  them  by  showing  a  pass  issued 
by  the  Provost-Marshal  of  Baltimore,  and  were  soon 
steaming  down  the  Chesapeake  toward  Fair  Haven, 
which  was  their  pretended  destination.  Arriving  at 
that  point  they  went  ashore,  and  proceeded  to  the 
village  of  Friendship.  From  there  they  worked  their 
way  south-west  to  Prince  Frederick,  then  across  the 
Big  Patuxent  to  Bendict,  from  which  place  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Charlotte  Hall,  and  thence  on  foot  to  Leon- 
ardtown,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  At  the  last- 
named  place  they  found  Wm.  H.  Scott,  another  of 

[283] 


284  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

my  operatives,  awaiting  them,  and  were  accom- 
panied by  him  during  the  remainder  of  the  journey. 

A  number  of  messages,  written  and  verbal,  which 
had  been  intrusted  to  Webster  by  his  Baltimore  asso- 
ciates, were  delivered  at  various  points  on  the  route, 
thus  enabling  them  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  cer- 
tain secessionists  who  were  men  of  prominence  and 
influence  in  their  respective  neighborhoods,  and  who 
in  turn  provided  them  with  letters  of  introduction 
to  others  of  like  ilk  further  on.  Through  this  medium 
they  secured  attention  and  hospitality  wherever  they 
stopped,  and  had  the  advantage  of  valuable  advice 
and  assistance  in  the  matter  of  pursuing  their  journey 
safely. 

They  represented  themselves  to  be  rebel  sympa- 
thizers on  their  way  to  the  Potomac,  for  the  purpose 
of  finding  a  safe  place  where  goods  could  be  shipped 
across  the  river  into  Virginia.  They  were  frequently 
cautioned  to  be  very  careful,  as  there  were  Union 
soldiers  stationed  all  along  the  river,  and  people  whose 
hearts  were  with  the  South  were  not  permitted  to  ex- 
press their  sentiments  with  impunity.  They  penetrated 
as  far  as  a  point  called  Allen's  Fresh,  and  deciding 
that  they  had  gained  all  the  information  that  could  be 
picked  up  in  that  part  of  the  country,  they  returned 
to  Washington  and  reported  to  me. 

When  Webster  re-appeared  on  the  streets  of  Bal- 
timore, after  completing  this  trip,  he  was  more  than 
ever  lionized  by  his  numerous  friends  who  were  in 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  285 

the  secret  of  his  Southern  journey,  and  its  supposed 
object.  By  endangering  his  life  in  the  Southern 
cause,  as  it  was  believed  he  had  done,  he  had  made 
himself  a  hero  in  the  eyes  of  the  traitors  who  were 
attached  to  him. 

"  Are  you  still  keeping  mum  ?"  he  asked,  as  he 
stood  in  the  center  of  a  group  at  Dickinson's  billiard 
hall,  adjoining  the  Exchange. 

"  Those  who  have  any  regard  for  their  personal 
safety  are  doing  so,"  replied  Rogers ;  "and  I  think  the 
majority  of  the  boys  have  learned  that  lesson.  Balti- 
more is  comparatively  quiet  now.  Only  one  man  has 
been  arrested  since  you  left,  and  we  have  hopes  that 
he  will  be  released  ?" 

"  Who  is  he  T 

"A  man  from  Washington.  He  was  fool  enough 
to  think  he  could  talk  as  he  pleased  in  Baltimore." 

"  By  the  way,"  remarked  some  one  present, 
"Webster  must  join  our— 

"Sh,"  cautioned  Dave  Dickinson,  the  proprietor 
of  the  billiard  room.  "  Have  you  no  more  sense  than 
to  reveal  yourself  here  9  Remember  that  your  lips 
are  sealed  by  an  oath  on  that  subject." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence ;  Webster  looked 
from  one  to  another,  and  noticed  that  an  air  of  mys- 
tery had  settled  upon  every  countenance  present. 

"What's  this?"  he  demanded  with  a  laugh.  "Is  it 
a  conspiracy  to  betray  me  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  ?" 


286  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

"  Not  exactly,"  replied  Dickinson,  whose  laugh 
was  echoed  by  the  crowd.  "  Sloan,  you  will  give  Mr. 
Webster  his  cue  when  a  favorable  opportunity  occurs. 
We  want  him  with  us,  by  all  means." 

Webster's  curiosity  was  satisfied  an  hour  later, 
when  he  and  Sam  Sloan  walked  toward  Miller's  Hotel 
together. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Sam,  in  a  guarded  tone,  "since 
you  went  away  we've  formed  a  secret  organiza- 
tion." 

"  A  secret  organization  ?" 

"  Yes ;  and  we  have  held  several  meetings." 

"  Is  it  a  success  ?" 

"  A  perfect  success.  Some  of  the  best  in  town 
are  among  our  members.  We  may  be  forced  to  keep 
silent,  but,  by  Heaven !  they  can't  compel  us  to 
remain  idle.  We  are  well  organized,  and  we  mean 
undying  opposition  to  a  tyrannical  government.  I 
tell  you,  Webster,  we  will  not  down  /" 

"  Never !"  responded  Webster,  copying  the  boast- 
ful tone  and  bearing  of  his  companion.  "  It  does  not 
lie  in  the  power  of  these  white-livered  Yankees  to 
make  slaves  of  Southern  men  !  I  should  like  to  be- 
come a  member  of  your  society,  Sloan." 

"  They  all  want  you,"  said  Sloan,  eagerly.  "They 
passed  a  resolution  to  that  effect  at  the  last  meeting. 
They  want  the  benefit  of  your  counsel  and  in- 
fluence." 

"  What  is  your  society  called  ?" 


OF    TH^  MILITARY.  287 

"  The  Knights  of  Liberty." 

"  When  will  your  next  meeting  be  held  ?" 

"  To-night." 

"  So  soon  ?" 

"And  you  are  expected  to  attend.  Have  you  any 
objections  ?" 

"  None  whatever.     But  how  will  I  get  there  ?" 

"  I  am  delegated  to  be  your  escort,"  replied 
Sloan. 

"  What  is  your  hour  of  meeting?" 

"  Twelve  o'clock." 

"  Ah,  a  midnight  affair.  All  right,  Sam  ;  you'll 
find  me  waiting  for  you  at  the  hotel." 

Here  they  separated.  Webster  realized  that 
quite  an  important  period  in  his  Baltimore  experience 
was  opening  up  before  him,  and  that  all  hrs  detective 
skill  would  probably  be  called  into  play  to  foil  a  band 
of  conspirators.  How  to  thwart  the  schemes  of  these 
Knights  of  Liberty,  whose  purpose,  as  he  understood, 
was  to  assist  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Government  of 
the  United  States,  was  now  the  question  to  be 
solved. 

He  did  not,  however,  attempt  to  form  any  plans 
at  this  time,  but  waited  for  such  developments  as  he 
had  no  doubt  would  be  made  that  night.  He 
resolved  to  learn  the  nature  of  the  plots  that  were  in 
existence,  before  he  commenced  counterplotting. 

Promptly  at  eleven  o'clock  Sam  Sloan  put  in  an 
appearance  at  the  hotel,  and  he  and  Webster  pro- 


rSS  A     SUDDEN  ^INTRUSION 

ceeded  toward  the  place  of  meeting.  The  night  was 
dark  and  stormy,  just  the  right  sort  of  night,  Webster 
thought,  for  the  concocting  of  hellish  plots  and  the 
performance  of  evil  deeds. 

"That  night,  a  chiel  might  understand, 
The  Deil  had  business  on  his  hand." 

The  stars  were  hidden  from  view  by  masses  of 
flying  clouds  ;  the  wind  whistled  shrilly  through  the 
trees  and  spires  ;  while  the  deep,  threatening 
murmurs  of  distant  thunder  were  accompanied  by 
fitful  flashes  of  lightning,  which  illumined  the  scene 
with  a  weird,  quivering  light.  Few  shops  were  open 
in  the  localities  through  which  they  passed.  Occa- 
sionally a  light  was  seen  struggling  through  the 
screened  window  of  a  saloon,  and  the  sound  of  mid- 
night orgies  within  indicated  that  business  had  not 
been  suspended  there  ;  but  elsewhere  all  was  dark  and 
still. 

Sloan  led  the  way  to  a  remote  quarter  of  the  city, 
and  into  a  street  which  bore  a  particularly  bad  re- 
putation. Here  he  stopped,  and  said  : 

"  I  must  blindfold  you,  Webster,  before  proceeding 
further.  This  is  a  rule  of  the  order  which  cannot, 
under  any  circumstances,  be  departed  from." 

Webster  submitted  quietly,  while  a  thick  bandage 
was  placed  over  his  eyes  and  securely  fastened. 
Then  Sloan  took  him  by  the  arm  and  led  him  for- 
ward. 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  289 

Blindfolded  as  he  was,  he  knew  that  they  turned 
suddenly  into  an  alleyway,  and  he  also  knew  when 
they  passed  through  a  gate,  which  Sloan  closed  behind 
them.  He  rightly  conjectured  that  they  were  now 
in  a  sort  of  paved  court,  in  the  rear  of  a  building. 

"  Come  this  way  and  make  no  noise,"  whispered 
Sloan. 

The  next  moment  the  latter  knocked  on  a  door 
with  a  low,  peculiar  rap,  that  was  like  a  signal.  Im- 
mediately a  guarded  voice  on  the  inside  was  heard  : 

"  Are  you  white  ?" 

"  Down  with  the  blacks  !"  responded  Sloan. 

Nothing  more  was  said.  A  chain  clanked  inside, 
a  bolt  shot  back,  and  the  door  creaked  on  its  hinges 
as  it  swung  open. 

Webster  was  led  through,  and  he  and  his  conduc- 
tor began  to  ascend  a  flight  of  stairs,  so  thickly  car- 
peted that  they  emitted  no  sound  from  the  footsteps 
upon  them. 

At  the  head  of  the  stairs  they  were  again  ac- 
costed : 

"  Halt !     Who  comes  there  ?" 

"  Lcng  live  Jeff  Davis,"  muttered  Sloan. 

Passing  on  through  another  door,  they  found 
themselves  in  a  small,  square  apartment,  although,  so 
far  as  Webster  was  concerned,  there  was  no  ocular 
proof  of  this.  There  seemed  to  be  several  persons 
here,  and  a  voice,  that  was  evidently  meant  to  be 
tragical  and  impressive,  demanded  : 
'9 


290  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

"  Whom  have  we  here  ?" 

"  Most  Noble  Chief,"  said  Sloan,  humbly,  "  I  have  a 
friend  in  charge,  who  wishes  to  become  a  worthy 
member  of  this  league." 

"  His  name  ?" 

"Timothy  Webster." 

"  Have  the  objects  of  the  league  been  fully  ex- 
plained to  him  ?" 

"  They  have." 

The  gruff-voiced  speaker  then  said  : 
"  Mr.  Webster,  is  it  your  desire  to  become  a  mem- 
ber of  this  knightly  band  ?" 

"  It  is,"  responded  the  detective,  firmly. 

There  was  a  sound  as  of  a  number  of  swords 
leaping  from  their  scabbards,  and  the  clank  and  ring 
of  the  steel  as  the  blades  seemed  to  meet  above  his 
head.  Then  the  Grand  Chief  continued  : 

"You  will  now  kneel  upon  one  knee,  and  place 
your  right  hand  upon  your  heart,  while  I  administer 
to  you  the  binding  obligation  of  our  brotherhood."  , 

Webster  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  in  this  atti- 
tude repeated  the  following  oath,  as  it  was  dictated  to 
him : 

"  I,  Timothy  Webster,  citizen  of  Baltimore,  hav- 
ing been  informed  of  the  objects  of  this  association, 
and  being  in  full  accord  with  the  cause  which  it  seeks 
to  advance,  do  solemnly  declare  and  affirm,  upon  my 
sacred  honor,  that  I  will  keep  forever  secret  all  that 
I  may  see  or  hear,  in  consequence  of  being  a  mem- 


OF    THE    MILITARY.  291 

her  of  this  league  ;  that  I  will  implicitly  obey  all 
orders,  and  faithfully  discharge  all  duties  assigned 
to  me,  no  matter  of  what  nature  or  character  they 
may  be;  and  that  life  or  death  will  be  held  sub- 
ordinate to  the  success  and  advancement  of  the  cause 
of  the  Confederacy  and  the  defeat  of  the  bloody 
tyrants  who  are  striving  to  rule  by  oppression  and 
terrorism.  Should  I  fail  in  the  proper  performance 
of  any  task  imposed  upon  me,  or  should  I  prove  un- 
faithful to  the  obligations  I  have  here  assumed,  may 
I  suffer  the  severest  penalty  for  treason  and  cowardice, 
as  well  as  the  odium  and  contempt  of  my  brother 
knights." 

The  swords  clanked  again  as  they  were  returned 
to  their  scabbards,  and  the  new-made  member,  having 
taken  the  oath,  was  commanded  to  rise.  He  did  so 
in  silence,  and  the  bandage  was  removed  from  his  eyes. 

At  first  the  light  of  the  room  almost  blinded  him, 
but  his  eyes  soon  became  accustomed  to  the  change, 
and  he  looked  about  him  with  some  curiosity.  He 
found  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  seven  stalwart 
men,  besides  Sloan,  all  of  whom  wore  swords  at  their 
sides,  dark  cloaks  drooping  from  their  shoulders,  and 
black  masks  upon  their  faces.  The  masks,  however, 
were  now  removed,  and  Webster  discovered,  to  his 
relief,  that  they  were  all  familiar  to  him. 

"  Mr.  Webster,"  said  the  Chief,  dropping  his  tragic 
tone  of  voice,  "  without  further  ceremony,  I  pro- 
nounce you  a  Knight  of  Liberty.  I  greet  you  heart- 


292  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

ily  ;"  and  then,  extending  his  hand  —  "  Come  with 
me." 

As  they  emerged  into  the  main  council-chamber, 
Webster  quietly  examined  his  surroundings.  It  was 
a  spacious  apartment,  very  plain  in  its  appointments, 
with  a  low  ceiling  and  bare  walls,  and  furnished  with 
chairs  arranged  in  rows  around  the  room.  At  the 
head  of  the  hall  was  a  low  platform  on  which  were 
tables  and  chairs.  Behind  these,  on  the  wall,  were 
suspended  two  Confederate  flags,  artistically  draped, 
above  which  were  the  initials  "K.  of  L."  Some  forty 
men  were  already  assembled,  and  others  were  quietly 
dropping  in  at  intervals.  Webster  noticed  that  all 
these  men  were  from  the  better  class  of  citizen  seces- 
sionists, and  that  the  low,  rowdy  element  was  not  rep- 
resented. They  were  mostly  men  who  had  not  thus 
far  been  suspected  of  disloyalty  to  the  Union  cause. 

The  Grand  Chief  and  other  officers  now  took 
their  positions  on  the  platform,  and  Webster  was 
assigned  to  a  seat  where  he  could  observe  all  that  was 
said  or  done. 

Presently  a  clock  in  the  room  struck  twelve.  In- 
stantly all  the  doors  opening  into  the  chamber  were 
securely  locked,  and  the  secret  conclave  was  in  ses- 
sion. The  Grand  Chief  rose  and  opened  the  meet- 
ing in  regular  form ;  and  again,  after  the  secretary 
had  read  the  journal,  made  an  address  of  some  length. 
At  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks,  some  one  arose  and 
said  : 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  293 

"  Most  Worthy  Chief,  I  believe  we  can  now  claim 
Mr.  Webster  as  a  member  of  this  body.  I  under- 
stand that  he  has  just  returned  from  an  interesting 
and  somewhat  dangerous  mission,  and  I  now  move 
that  he  be  invited  to  address  this  meeting  relative  to 
his  experiences  during  the  journey  he  has  just  com- 
pleted." 

Webster,  taken  by  surprise,  undertook  to  combat 
the  proposition,  but  the  motion  was  unanimously  con- 
curred in,  and  no  excuses  were  accepted.  He  there- 
fore yielded  good-naturedly,  and  mounting  the  plat- 
form, he  proceeded  to  relate  some  of  the  particulars 
of  his  trip  to  the  Potomac.  He  made  the  recital 
as  entertaining  and  agreeable  as  possible,  and 
although  his  statements  did  not  always  possess  the 
merit  of  being  strictly  true,  they  were  such  as  could 
not  fail  to  meet  the  approval  of  his  hearers,  and 
were  therefore  received  with  great  favor.  Conclud- 
ing with  a  well-timed  panegyric  on  the  "  faithful "  of 
Baltimore,  he  resumed  his  seat  amid  the  congratula- 
tions of  his  many  admiring  friends. 

After  this,  the  regular  business  of  the  meeting 
was  taken  up,  in  which  Webster  took  no  other  part 
than  that  of  a  close  listener  and  observer.  Motions 
were  made,  resolutions  were  adopted,  and  various 
duties  assigned  to  volunteer  committees.  The  pro- 
ceedings grew  more  and  more  interesting  to  the 
detective  as  they  progressed,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  began  to  feel  considerable  surprise,  if  not 


294  A    SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

alarm,  at  the  unexpected  revelations  which  were 
made.  It  became  evident  to  him  that  these  conspir- 
ators had  by  some  means  succeeded  in  placing  them- 
selves in  direct  communication  with  the  Confederate 
leaders,  and  that  a  gigantic  plot  was  now  in  prepara- 
tion to  make  a  united  and  irresistible  movement 
against  Washington.  Nearly  ten  thousand  Balti- 
moreans,  it  was  alleged,  were  prepared  to  rise  in 
arms  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  join  the  rebel  army, 
whenever  such  a  movement  might  seem  feasible.  It 
appeared,  also,  that  the  Baltimoreans  were  not  alone 
in  this  plot  against  the  government,  but  that  branches 
of  their  organization  existed  in  a  number  of  the  out- 
lying towns,  and  that  the  secessionists  of  the  entire 
State  were  working  harmoniously  together  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  one  great  purpose.  There  was  no 
lack  of  arms,  for  these  had  already  been  secured,  but 
their  place  of  concealment  was  known  only  to  a  few 
and  they  were  not  to  be  brought  to  light  until  they 
should  be  needed. 

The  main  portion  of  the  plot  seemed  to  be  well 
matured,  and  was  most  perfect  in  its  details.  The  ar- 
rival of  the  rebel  army  in  Maryland  was  expected  in 
a  very  short  time,  as  they  had  the  promises  of  the 
Southern  commanders  themselves  that  they  would 
soon  cross  the  Potomac.  Their  coming  was  to  be 
the  signal  for  a  simultaneous  uprising  of  all  the 
secessionists  in  the  Western  and  Southern  portions 
of  the  State,  who  were  to  unite  in  a  movement  that 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  295 

could  scarcely  fail  to  carry  everything  before  it. 
There  were  also  deep-laid  schemes  by  which  the 
Federals  were  to  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  real  de- 
signs of  the  Confederates,  until  too  late  to  avert  the 
bloV. 

The  extent  of  the  conspiracy  rather  startled  Web- 
ster, although  some  of  the  projects  sounded  rather 
visionary,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  consult  with 
me  at  once.  Accordingly,  the  very  next  day,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington,  and  was  closeted  with  me  for 
several  hours.  As  soon  as  he  had  explained  the 
situation,  I  devised  a  plan  of  procedure,  and  gave  him 
full  instructions  as  to  the  manner  in  which  he  should 
proceed.  The  great  object,  of  course,  was  to  break 
up  the  organization,  and  defeat  the  conspiracy  in  a 
manner  that  would  not  compromise  Webster  ;  but  it 
was  not  deemed  prudent  to  go  about  this  with  any 
inordinate  haste. 

I  advised  Webster  to  continue  attending  the 
meetings,  in  the  character  of  an  active  conspirator ; 
to  learn  all  he  could,  and  report  to  me  as  often  as 
possible.  In  the  meantime,  I  would  send  him  two 
other  operatives,  and  he  was  to  secure  their  admission 
into  the  secret  society,  as  members  thereof.  In  a 
week  or  two  the  final  act  in  the  little  drama  would  be 
introduced  by  first  making  a  confidant  of  Mr.  McPhail, 
the  deputy  Provost-Marshal  of  Baltimore,  and  them 
confronting  the  conspirators  with  a  company  of  armed! 
soldiers. 


296  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

Webster  returned  to  Baltimore  with  a  clear  un- 
derstanding of  the  course  he  was  to  pursue,  and  he 
followed  that  course  with  the  untiring  zeal  with  which 
he  performed  every  duty  assigned  to  him.  He  at- 
tended the  midnight  meetings  regularly,  and  gained 
much  information  concerning  the  plans  and  move- 
ments of  the  Southern  commanders,  which  proved  of 
incalculable  value  to  the  government.  The  two 
operatives  soon  contrived  to  join  the  society,  not 
through  Webster's  recommendation,  as  that  was  to  be 
avoided,  if  possible,  but  by  making  the  acquaintances 
of  men  whom  he  pointed  out  to  them,  and  repreient- 
ing  themselves  as  secessionists  who  were  capable  of 
keeping  their  own  counsel. 

This  done,  the  rest  was  comparatively  easy.  By 
the  rules  of  the  society,  no  one  could  enter  the  secret 
chamber  of  the  conspirators  without  passing  two 
guards,  and  giving  sundry  pass-words.  These  guards 
were  appointed  by  the  Chief  from  those  who  volun- 
teered for  the  positions.  At  stated  periods,  new  pass- 
words were  arranged,  by  which  every  man  was  re- 
quired to  answer  the  questions  of  the  guards,  and  any 
one  who  failed  to  commit  these  to  memory  sufficiently 
to  satisfy  these  sentinels  that  he  was  a  member  of 
the  society,  found  him:elf  barred  out  of  the  meeting. 

Our  plan  worked  to  perfection.  There  came  a 
night  when  my  two  operatives  were  on  duty,  as 
guards,  they  having  volunteered  their  services  at  the 
last  preceding  meeting.  This  was  the  night  set 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  297 

apart  for  the  surprise.  It  had  been  announced  that 
Webster  would  speak  that  night,  and  it  had  been  ar- 
ranged with  the  guards,  that  a  certain  part  in  his 
speech  should  be  taken  as  the  signal  for  the  grand 
finale  that  had  been  decided  upon. 

The  hour  of  midnight  approached.  The  old 
building  in  which  the  secret  conclaves  were  held  was 
shrouded  in  silence  and  darkness.  At  intervals  one 
or  more  dark  figures  might  have  been  seen  to  enter 
the  covered  archway  leading  thereto,  and  pass  through 
the  gate  into  the  narrow  court.  Then,  one  at  a  time, 
they  approached  a  certain  door,  and  after  a  signal  rap, 
and  a  low,  muttered  conversation  with  the  guards, 
they  passed  in  and  ascended  the  dimly-lighted  stairs. 
Another  brief  dialogue  with  the  inside  guard,  and 
they  entered  the  council-chamber,  where  they  dropped 
their  mysterious  manner,  and  were  ready  to  answer 
to  their  names  at  the  calling  of  the  roll. 

The  clock  struck  twelve.  The  sound  rang  through 
the  apartment  in  solemn,  measured  tones,  and  as  the 
twelfth  stroke  was  still  vibrating  in  the  air,  all  the 
doors,  even  those  communicating  with  the  ante-rooms, 
were  promptly  locked,  no  one  being  admitted  after 
that  hour. 

The  meeting  was  opened  after  the  regular  form, 
and  the  business  disposed  of  without  interruption. 
When  the  time  which  was  set  apart  for  addresses 
arrived,  Webster  was  called  upon  for  his  speech.  He 
ascended  the  platform  with  a  serious  expression  on 


298  A    SUDDEN    INTRUSION 

his  face,  and  after  thanking  his  fellow-knights  for  the 
honor  conferred  upon  him,  he  launched  forth  into  a 
stirring  address,  the  treasonable  nature  of  which  was 
calculated  to  fire  the  Southern  blood  of  his  hearers, 
and  to  add  much  to  his  own  popularity.  As  the 
speaker  appeared  to  warm  up  with  his  subject  he 
lifted  his  voice  and  exclaimed  : 

"The  dissolution  of  the  Union  is  one  of  the  inevi- 
table necessities  of  Lincoln's  election,  and  it  will  be 
our  mission  to  strike  directly  at  the  heart  of  the 
abolition  party,  and  bury  its  foul  carcass  beneath  the 
smoking  ruins  of  Washington  city  !" 

This  was  the  signal.  The  words  had  no  sooner 
passed  the  lips  of  the  speaker,  than  a  startling  noise, 
like  that  of  a  battering-ram  being  applied  to  one  of 
the  ante-room  doors,  cut  short  the  speech,  and  caused 
every  man  present  to  spring  to  his  feet  in  astonish- 
ment and  alarm.  Bang  !  bang  !  bang !  sounded  the 
heavy  blows.  The  door  burst  open  with  a  crash,  and 
a  stream  of  blue-coated  soldiers,  all  fully  armed,  came 
pouring  into  the  council-chamber,  and  quickly  de- 
ployed around  three  sides  of  the  room,  effectually 
cutting  off  the  retreat  of  the  inmates  before  they 
could  make  a  movement 

The  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of  these 
intruders  had  a  paralyzing  effect  upon  the  conspira- 
tors. Had  so  many  ghosts  confronted  them  they 
could  not  have  been  more  surprised.  Horrified  con- 
sternation was  depicted  on  every  blanched  face ; 


OF     THE    MILITARY.  299 

startled  eyes  looked  wildly  around  for  some  avenue 
of  escape,  and  exclamations  of  terror  or  baffled  rage 
broke  from  many  white  lips.  Some  of  the  most  des- 
perate seemed  for  a  moment  to  entertain  thoughts  of 
breaking  through  the  line  of  soldiers  and  reaching  the 
door,  but  no  such  mad  attempt  was  made.  McPhail 
stepped  forward  with  a  revolver  in  each  hand,  and  in 
a  low,  thrilling  voice,  said  : 

"  Gentlemen,  you  are  our  prisoners.  I  advise  you 
to  give  in  gracefully.  We  are  too  many  for  you." 

His  advice  did  not  go  unheeded.  They  surren- 
dered as  gracefully  as  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  resigned  themselves  to  the  custody  of 
their  armed  foes.  The  chamber,  in  which  they  had 
maliciously  plotted  the  overthrow  of  the  government 
became  the  scene  of  their  own  downfall,  and  it  was 
with  dejected  countenances  that  they  submitted  to  the 
inevitable,  and  permitted  themselves  to  be  marched 
in  a  body  before  the  Provost-Marshal.  It  was  not 
observed,  however,  until  they  were  being  removed, 
that  Timothy  Webster  had  somehow  contrived  to 
make  good  his  escape. 

The  leading  spirits  of  this  conspiracy — those  who 
did  the  actual  plotting,  and  who  were  known  to  be 
the  arch  traitors  and  prime  movers  in  the  secret 
enterprise — were  taken  to  Fort  McHenry.  The  rest, 
after  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance,  were  released. 

My  two  operatives  disappeared  from  Baltimore 
immediately  after  this  occurrence,  as  well  they  might, 


300  A     SUDDEN    INTRUSION- 

for  of  course  the  suspicion  of  the  defeated  conspira- 
tors fastened  upon  them  at  once.  As  they  did  not 
show  themselves  in  that  city  again,  however,  they 
never  were  made  the  victims  of  the  terrible  vengeance 
which  some  of  their  late  associates  swore  to  bring 
down  upon  their  luckless  heads  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. As  for  Webster,  instead  of  being  suspected 
of  any  complicity  in  the  betrayal,  he  was  congratulated 
upon  his  fortunate  and  remarkable  escape  from  the 
fate  which  befell  his  unfortunate  brother  knights. 

With  the  defeat  of  the  "  Knights  of  Liberty  "  in 
Baltimore,  ended  the  existence  of  the  branch  lodges 
all  over  the  State.  The  organization,  which  had  so 
carefully  planned  the  destruction  of  the  Union  at  a 
single  blow,  was  completely  broken  up.  The  con- 
spirators, taking  warning  by  the  fate  of  their  leaders, 
became  mute  and  inactive,  and  although  skilled 
detectives  were  sent  to  all  outlying  towns,  no  new 
signs  of  an  uprising  were  discovered. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Suspicions  in  Washington.  —  "  Uncle  Callus"  —  Property 
Searched.  —  A  Rebel  Family  sent  South.  —  Webster  starts 
for  Richmond. 


A>IDE  from  the  operations  of  Timothy  Webster 
and  his  assistants  in  Baltimore,  there  was 
work  enough  to  do  in  Washington  to  keep  myself 
and  all  the  members  of  my  large  force  constantly 
employed.  Innumerable  persons,  suspected  of 
treasonable  designs,  were  closely  shadowed  ;  whole 
families  became  objects  of  distrust,  and  fell  under  the 
watchful  eye  of  my  department  ;  while  the  ungracious 
task  of  searching  the  homes  of  people  who  stood 
upon  the  highest  round  of  the  social  ladder  became 
of  frequent  occurrence. 

Among  the  latter  class  were  the  wife  and  family 
of  ex-Governor  Morton,  of  Florida,  who  at  this  time 
were  sojourning  in  Washington.  Mrs.  Morton  was 
known  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  South,  and  the 
unceasing  vigilance  of  my  men  soon  developed  the 
fact  that  she  was  in  secret  communication  with 
certain  officials  of  the  rebel  government,  to  whom  she 
was  giving  information  concerning  affairs  at  the 
North.  She  was  a  lady  of  eminent  respectability  and 

[301] 


302  WEBSTER    STARTS 

refinement,  and  much  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  her, 
but  this  did  not  render  it  less  advisable,  under  the 
circumstances,  to  .have  all  her  movements  watched, 
and  her  house  constantly  shadowed  by  detectives. 
Her  pleasant  residence  at  No.  288  "I"  street,  was  there- 
fore placed  under  strict  surveillance,  and  its  inmates 
followed  whenever  they  went  out  for  a  walk  or  drive, 
while  all  visitors  at  the  house  were  invariably 
shadowed  when  they  went  away. 

There  was  an  old  negro  servant,  known  as  Uncle 
Gallus,  who  went  to  and  from  the  house  oftener  than 
any  one  else,  on  errands  for  the  family.  Finally  one 
of  my  operatives  drew  the  old  fellow  into  conversa- 
tion, and  found  him  so  cheerful  and  communicative, 
and  so  firm  in  his  loyalty  to  the  Northern  cause,  that 
when  the  fact  was  reported  to  me,  I  concluded  to 
talk  with  Uncle  Gallus  myself.  Accordingly,  I  gave 
orders  to  have  him  brought  to  my  office,  if  it  could  be 
done  without  opposition  on  his  part.  The  friendship 
I  bore  for  the  colored  race,  and  my  long  experience 
as  an  underground  railroad  conductor,  had  given  me 
such  an  insight  into  the  character  of  the  negro,  that  I 
believed  I  could  gain  his  confidence  and  good-will  if  I 
should  meet  him. 

Uncle  Gallus  came  to  my  orifice  quite  willingly. 
He  was  a  powerfully-built  darky,  though  evidently 
well  advanced  in  years,  as  attested  by  the  bleached 
appearance  of  his  wool  and  eye-brows.  His  skin  was 
as  black  and  shone  as  bright  as  polished  ebony,  and 


FOR    RICHMOND.  303 

it  took  but  little  provocation  to  set  him  on  a  broad 
grin,  which  displayed  two  unbroken  rows  of  glistening 
ivory. 

This  interesting  specimen  appeared  before  me  one 
afternoon,  when  Timothy  Webster  was  with  me  in 
my  office.  We  had  just  finished  a  discussion  con- 
cerning some  delicate  point  in  Webster's  Baltimore 
operations,  and  had  lapsed  into  a  desultory  conversa- 
tion. My  sable  visitor  stood  bowing  and  scraping, 
and  turning  his  hat  round  and  round  in  his  hands,  till 
I  bid  him  be  seated. 

"  Your  name  is  Gallus  ?"  I  said. 

"  Yes,  sah,"  he  replied,  his  mouth  stretched  from 
ear  to  ear.  "  Folks  done  got  so  dey  call  me  uncle 
Gallus  nowadays." 

"You  have  been  a  slave  all  your  life,  I  under- 
stand ?" 

"  Yes,  massa,  eber  sence  I  war  knee-high  to  a 
hopper-grass.  I'se  done  a  mighty  sight  o'  wu'k,  too, 
'kase  I  wus  allus  as  big  an  stout  as  a  sixty-dollah  bull, 
an'  I  could  stan'  mo'  hard-fisted  labor  dan  any  o'  de 
udder  niggahs  on  de  plantation.  But  sence  I  been 
wid  Massa  Morton  I  ain't  had  nuffin'  to  do  skursely, 
an'  it  seems  as  ef  I'se  gwine  to  git  pow'ful  lazy  fur  de 
want  o'  wu'k.  H'yah  !  H'yah  !" 

"  What  is  your  native  State,  Uncle  Gallus  ?" 

"  Ole  Virginny,  sah." 

He  held  his  head  a  little  higher,  and  sat  a  trifle 
more  erect  as  he  said  this,  showing  that  inordinate 


304  WEBSTER    STARTS 

pride  in  his  State  which  I  had  so  often  noticed  in 
other  Virginia  slaves,  as  well  as  in  Virginia  masters. 

I  asked  him  if  the  Mortons  had  offered  him  his 
freedom  since  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  shook 
his  head  and  gravely  replied  : 

"  Dey  hain't  been  nuffin'  said  to  dis  pusson  on  dat 
'ar  subjick,  but  I  knows  dey'd  gimme  my  freedom  in 
less'n  twenty-fo'  hours  ef  I  done  ax  'em  fur  it." 

"  Then  you  don't  want  to  be  free  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  does,  massa ;  yes,  I  does,  fur  sho'. 
But  Massa  Linkum  an'  de  Yankee  boys  am  gwine 
ter  fetch  dat  aroun'  all  right  by'm-bye.  Bress  your 
soul  an'  body,  I  can't  b'ar  fur  to  run  away  from 
missus  an'  ole  massa,  'kase  dey's  been  so  good  an' 
kyind  to  me  ;  an'  I'se  done  tuk  an  oath  dat  I  won't 
leave  'em  till  dey  gimme  leaf.  When  missus  goes 
back  down  Souf  I'se  gwine  ter  go  wid  her,  ef  she 
don't  tole  me  to  stay  heah.  It  won't  be  long,  nohow, 
'kase  de  time  am  soon  comin'  when  de  darkies  will  all 
be  free." 

"  Your  mistress  intends  to  return  to  the  South, 
then  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah  ;  we'll  soon  be  off  now,  ef  de  good  Lo'd 
will  let  us.  Massa,  he's  in  Richmond,  an'  he  hab  done 
sent  fur  de  family." 

"  Is  Mrs.  Morton  in  communication  with  her 
husband  ?" 

"  Spec'  she  is,  sah.  She  writes  letters,  an'  gits 
letters.  She  has  ter  be  sorter  keerful  like,  for  dese 


FOR    RICHMOND.  305 

'yah  Yankees  is  got  eyes  like  a  cat,  an'  kin  see  fru  a 
stun  wall  in  de  dark." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  your  mistress  writes  to 
any  one  besides  her  husband  ?" 

Uncle  Gallus  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  looked 
at  me  somewhat  suspiciously,  the  whites  of  his  eyes 
shining  like  polished  china. 

"'Deed,  sah,  I  doesn't  know  whedder  she  dusdo, 
or  whedder  she  doant,"  he  said,  hesitatingly.  "  Please, 
massa,  doant  ax  dis  chile  any  mo'  questions.  My 
missus  is  de  bes'  woman  in  de  wu'ld,  and  nebber  didn't 
do  nuffin'  wrong  in  all  her  bawn  days.  Ole  Gallus 
wouldn't  say  nuffin'  to  bring  trubble  on  her  for  fifteen 
cents,"  he  added,  earnestly. 

I  quieted  the  fears  of  the  faithful  old  man  by  as- 
suring him  that  I  meant  no  harm  to  his  mistress, 
and  that  I  had  no  doubt  she  was  the  good  lady  he 
represented  her  to  be.  Satisfied  with  the  result  of 
my  investigations,  I  permitted  Uncle  Gallus  to  depart, 
first  charging  him,  however,  to  say  nothing  to  any 
one  concerning  my  interview  with  him.  He  prom- 
ised secrecy,  and  bowed  himself  out  with  all  his  teeth 
visible,  saying,  as  he  went  : 

• ,  "  Fo'  de  Lawd,  gemmen,  I'se  hopin  an'  prayin' 
de  No'thun  folks  will  be  de  top  dog  in  dis  wrastle,  an' 
ef  eber  dis  niggah  hes  a  chance  to  gib  yu'uns  a  help- 
in'  han',  yu'  kin  bet  a  hoss  agin'  a  coon-skin  he'll  do 
it  ;  but  I  hope  an'  trus'  my  missus  not  be  bod- 

dered." 

20 


306  WEBSTER    STARTS 

Nevertheless,  I  had  learned  enough  to  bring  me 
to  the  decision,  that   Mrs.   Morton's  house  must  be 
searched,  and  under  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
I  sent  three  of  my  men  to  No.   288   "  I  "  street,  to 
perform  this  unpleasant  task.     The  operatives  chosen 
to  make  the  search  were  W.  H.  Scott,  John  Scully, 
and  Pryce  Lewis.     Mrs,   Morton  received  them  very 
civilly,  and  told  them  they  were  at  liberty  to  make  a 
thorough  search  of  the  premises,  which  they  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  do.       They  had  instructions   to 
read  all  letters  that  were  found,  but   to  keep   only 
those  that  were  of  a  treasonable  nature,  and  in   no 
case  to  destroy  any  property  or  leave  anything  in  a 
disordered    condition.       These     instructions     were 
obeyed  to  the  letter.     Boxes  that  were  packed  ready 
for  shipment  were  all  carefully  repacked  and  closed 
after  they  had.  been  examined  by  my  men,  and  when 
the  operatives  departed,  they  left  no  traces  of  their 
search  behind  them.     Their  polite  and  considerate 
conduct  won  for  them  the  good  will,  not  only  of  Mrs. 
Morton  herself,  but  also  of   her  daughter  and  two 
sons,  who  expressed  themselves  as  being  agreeably 
surprised,  for  they  had  been  informed  that  the  men 
from  the   Provost-Marshal's  office  were  a  set  of  ruf- 
fians, who  did  not  scruple  to  break  up  boxes,  and  litter 
the  house  with  their  contents,  and  that  their  conduct 
towards  ladies  was  insulting  in  the  extreme.     They 
even  went  so  far  as  to  assure  the  operatives,  that  if 
any  of  them   should    ever  be   taken   prisoner   and 


FOR    RICHMOND.  307 

brought  to    Richmond,  they  would  do   all  in  their 
power  to  secure  kind  treatment  for  them. 

Among  the  letters  that  were  found,  two  of  them 
were  from  ex-Governor  Morton,  to  his  son  and 
daughter,  requesting  them  to  come  to  him  at  Rich- 
mond ;  but  nothing  of  a  criminating  character  was 
discovered,  and  the  family  were  not  subjected  to  fur- 
ther annoyance. 

Some  two  weeks  afterwards,  when  John  Scully 
boarded  a  train  for  Baltimore,  whither  I  had  sent  him 
with  a  message  to  Webster,  he  chanced  to  meet  Mrs. 
Morton  and  family  in  the  car  which  he  entered. 
They  were  departing  from  Washington,  having  been 
required  to  leave  the  North,  by  the  authorities,  who 
furnished  them  a  safe  passport  to  Richmond,  and 
they  were  accompanied  by  the  faithful  Uncle  Gallus. 
They  recognized  Scully,  and  greeted  him  with  cor- 
dial courtesy,  the  eldest  son  rising  in  his  seat  to  shake 
hands  with  him.  They  told  him  that  on  arriving  at 
Baltimore,  they  were  to  take  a  flag-of-truce  boat  to 
Fortress  Monroe,  from  which  point  they  would  con- 
tinue their  journey  to  Richmond.  Scully,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  policy,  gave  them  distinctly  to  understand  that 
he  had  quitted  the  government  service  and  was  re- 
turning to  his  home  in  the  North. 

This  little  experience  with  the  Morton  family  was 
trifling  enough  in  itself,  and  was  only  one  of  many 
similar  episodes  with  which  I  and  my  force  were  con- 
nected during  those  troublous  times  ;  but  I  have  been 


308  WEBSTER    STARTS 

thus  particular  in  detailing  it  because  it  has  an  im- 
portant bearing  upon  other  events  which  afterwards 
occurred. 

It  was  about  a  month  after  the  incident  above 
mentioned,  that  Timothy  Webster  completed  his  prep- 
arations for  making  his  first  trip  into  Virginia  and 
through  the  rebel  lines.  A  large  number  of  Balti- 
moreans  had  intrusted  him  with  letters  to  their  friends 
and  relatives  in  the  South,  and  he  had  assured  them 
that  their  messages  would  be  delivered  safely  and 
answers  brought  back  in  due  time. 

He  left  Baltimore  on  the  i4th  of  October,  and 
proceeded  southward  along  the  "  Eastern  Shore  "  of 
Virginia,  seeking  a  convenient  place  to  cross  over  to 
the  mainland  or  "  Western  Shore."  He  arrived  at 
Eastville,  the  county  seat  of  Northampton  county,  on 
Tuesday,  October  22d,  where  he  found  that  he  could 
effect  a  crossing  with  the  assistance  of  a  man  named 
Marshall,  who  made  a  business  of  smuggling  passen- 
gers and  mails  through  the  lines.  He  was  compelled, 
however,  to  remain  at  Eastville  several  days,  waiting 
for  Marshall  and  his  boat  to  come  over  from  the 
other  side,  his  trips  being  delayed  on  account  of  the 
bright  moonlight  nights,  as  the  boatman  did  not  dare 
to  run  the  gantlet  of  the  Federal  guns,  unless 
covered  by  darkness. 

Some  two  or  three  months  before,  this  man,  Mar- 
shall, had  owned  a  sloop,  which  he  had  used  success- 
fully in  running  the  Federal  blockade.  One  night  he 


FOR    RICHMOND.  309 

was  caught  in  a  calm  near  the  western  shore,  and  was 
run-down  by  a  gunboat.  His  sloop  was  captured,  and 
he  narrowly  escaped  capture  by  deserting  his  vessel 
and  reaching  the  shore  in  a  smaller  boat.  Since  that 
time  Marshall  had  been  pursuing  his  vocation  with  a 
sort  of  canoe,  or  "  dugout,"  thirty-one  feet  in  length 
and  five  feet  in  width,  carrying  three  sails — main,  fore 
and  jib.  His  route  was  from  Gloucester  Point,  York 
river,  to  Eastville,  and  his  business  was  to  transfer 
from  one  side  of  the  bay  to  the  other  the  Confeder- 
ate mail  and  passengers,  and  sometimes  a  small  cargo 
of  merchandise.  Marshall  being  an  expert  pilot  and 
a  thorough  seaman,  was  frequently  employed  by  the 
masters  of  sloops  and  schooners  to  pilot  them  past 
certain  points,  they  giving  him  the  privilege  of  put- 
ting his  passengers  and  mail-bags  aboard  the  vessel 
without  charge.  It  was  his  invariable  custom  to 
place  a  stone  or  other  heavy  substance  in  his  mail-bag 
before  starting,  for  the  purpose  of  sinking  it  in  case 
of  being  pressed  by  the  gunboats. 

It  was  on  a  dark  evening  that  Webster  left  Cherry- 
stone Lighthouse  in  Marshall's  canoe,  to  make  the 
voyage  across  the  Chesapeake.  There  were  thirteen 
passengers,  all  told.  Eight  of  these  were  Mary- 
landers,  mostly  from  Baltimore,  every  one  of  whom 
announced  his  intention  of  enlisting  in  the  Confeder- 
ate army  or  navy  upon  his  arrival  at  Richmond. 

On  starting,  Marshall  rowed  off  a  short  distance 
from  the  light-house,  and  rested  on  his  oars  for  some 


3io  WEBSTER    STARTS 

time,  taking  observations  to  ascertain  if  the  bay  was 
clear  of  hostile  craft.  The  night  was  scarcely  dark 
enough  for  safety  ;  the  clouds  were  thin  and  scattered, 
and  the  stars  were  peeping  through  the  dark,  ragged 
curtain  overhead.  The  wind  was  blowing  strongly 
from  the  east,  and  the  water  was  exceedingly  rough. 

Resolving,  however,  to  make  the  effort,  Marshall 
hoisted  his  sails,  and  as  they  rapidly  filled,  the  little 
vessel  sprung  forward  like  a  thing  of  life.  It  fairly 
skimmed  over  the  waves,  its  sharp  prow  cutting  the 
water  and  dashing  up  clouds  of  spray  that  caused  the 
men  to  turn  up  their  coat-collars  and  pull  their  hats 
down  closer  upon  their  heads.  All  conversation  was 
forbidden,  lest  their  voices  should  betray  them  to  the 
enemy.  With  sealed  lips  and  motionless  forms,  they 
might  have  been  so  many  dark  phantoms  speeding 
before  the  wind  on  some  supernatural  mission. 

Webster,  by  his  own  wish,  had  been  put  upon  the 
look-out  by  the  captain  of  the  boat,  and  he  keenly 
watched  for  signs  of  danger.  When  they  had  trav- 
eled nearly  half  the  distance  across  the  bay,  he  spied 
a  point  of  light  to  leeward,  and  at  once  called  Mar- 
shall's attention  to  it. 

"  It  is  a  gunboat  with  a  light  on  her  bows,"  said 
the  latter.  "  Let  her  come.  She  can't  catch  us,  for 
with  our  present  headway  we  are  not  to  be  over- 
hauled by  any  boat  on  this  water." 

The  canoe  was  headed  due  west  for  about  four- 
teen miles,  then  south-west  by  west  for  ten  or  twelve 


FOR    RICHMOND.  31 1 

miles,  then  due  west  again  to  Gloucester  Point.  The 
entire  run  was  made  in  three  and  a  half  hours,  the 
sailing  distance  being  about  thirty  miles. 

On  nearing  Gloucester  Point,  they  were  hailed  by 
a  sentinel,  with  the  usual  challenge  : 

"  Who  comes  there  ?" 

The  blockade-runner  sent  back  the  answer  : 

"  Marshall— mail  boat !" 

"  Stand,  Marshall,  and  give  the  countersign  !" 

"  No  countersign,"  was  the  reply. 

The  sentinel  then  called  out : 

"  Sergeant  of  the  Guard,  Post  No.  i  !" 

And  another  voice,  further  away,  cried  : 

"  Who's  there  ?" 

"  Marshall,  with  mail  boat  and  passengers." 

"  Sentinel,  let  them  pass." 

A  few  minutes  later  the  passengers  disembarked, 
and  found  themselves  in  a  rebel  camp. 

Webster,  with  others,  went  to  Marshall's  shanty — 
a  rude,  wooden  structure,  which  that  worthy  had 
built  on  the  Point  for  the  accommodation  of  his  pas- 
sengers— and  there  the  remainder  of  the  night  was 
spent  in  the  refreshing  companionship  of  Morpheus. 

On  the  following  morning  Webster  was  up  and 
astir  at  an  early  hour.  He  ascertained  that  the  en- 
campment at  Gloucester  Point  consisted  of  two  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  two  companies  of  cavalry,  and  one 
field  battery  of  six  guns,  all  under  the  command  of 
Col.  Charles  H.  Crump.  The  entrenchments  com- 


312  WEBSTER     STARTS 

prised  an  area  of  about  fifteen  acres,  and  the  main 
breastwork  on  the  beach  consisted  of  a  heavy  earth- 
bank,  walled  on  the  inside  with  split  pine  logs  set  up 
on  end.  About  the  center  of  this  breastwork  was  a 
sixty-four-pound  gun,  mounted  on  a  high  carriage, 
which  traversed  in  a  circle  commanding  a  sweep  of 
the  whole  land  side  of  the  entrenchments,  where 
there  was  a  clean  field  of  about  seven  hundred  acres 
bounded  by  timber  on  the  north  and  York  river  on 
the  south. 

General  Magruder  had  command  of  this  division 
of  the  army,  including  the  forces  at  Gloucester  Point, 
Yorktown  and  all  the  peninsula  bounded  by  the 
James  and  York  rivers,  extending  down  to  Fortress 
Monroe.  The  division  embraced  thirty-three  regi- 
ments of  infantry  and  cavalry. 

Webster  called  at  Colonel  Crump's  headquarters 
and  obtained  from  that  officer  a  pass  to  Richmond, 
not  only  for  himself,  but  for  several  others  who  had 
crossed  the  bay  with  him.  At  about  the  hour  of  noon 
on  Saturday,  the  26th,  the  party  were  ferried  across 
the  river  to  Yorktown,  in  a  small  boat.  The  landing 
at  Yorktown  was  in  front  of  a  hill  which  rose  with  a 
gentle  slope  some  twenty-five  feet  above  the  beach, 
on  the  top  of  which,  in  front  of  the  town,  was  an 
earth-work  mounting  six  or  eight  guns. 

From  this  point  the  party  proceeded  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  across  the  peninsula,  to  Grove 
Wharf,  on  James  river.  The  distance  was  about  ten 


FOR    RICHMOND.  313 

miles,  and  was  accomplished  without  difficulty  or 
delay.  On  their  arrival  at  Grove  Wharf,  however, 
they  were  disappointed  to  learn  that  no  boat  was 
to  leave  there  for  Richmond  until  the  following 
Monday.  There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  with  a  rue- 
ful attempt  at  resignation,  they  took  quarters  at  a 
neighboring  farm-house,  where  they  waited  and 
rested. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Spy  at  Richmond. — Earthworks  Around  the  Rebel  Capi- 
tal.— An  Unexpected  Meeting. — Pistols  for  Two. — A  Re- 
conciliation.— Safe  Return  to  Washington. 

ON  Monday  morning  Webster  left  Grove 
Wharf,  on  the  regular  steam  packet,  for 
Richmond,  where  he  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the 
same  day.  Here  he  separated  from  his  companions 
and  made  his  way  alone  to  the  Spotswood  Hotel, 
where  he  registered,  and  proceeded  to  make  himself 
at  home.  He  was  now  in  the  rebel  capital,  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  the  enemies  of  his  country, 
with  no  friends  to  whom  he  could  apply  in  case  of 
danger,  and  burdened  with  a  mission,  upon  the  suc- 
cessful performance  of  which  his  life  depended.  It 
was  a  mission,  too,  requiring  such  delicate  and  skill- 
ful labor,  that  a  man  less  iron-nerved  would  have 
trembled  at  the  very  contemplation  of  it ;  but  Web- 
ster, whose  courage  and  self-command  never  deserted 
him  in  the  most  trying  moments  of  his  life,  coolly  re- 
viewed the  situation  and  laid  his  plans  in  a  systematic 
manner  for  future  operations. 

The  next  day,  he  busied  himself  about  the  city, 
delivering    his  letters,    forming  acquaintances,  and 


AROUND     THE    REBEL     CAPITAL.  3x5 

paving  the  way  for  an  interview  with  the  Secretary 
of  War,  his  object  being  to  obtain  from  that  high 
official,  if  possible,  a  pass  to  Manassas  and  Winches- 
ter. He  was  informed  by  General  Jones,  Post-Ad- 
jutant to  General  Winder,  the  Provost- Marshal  at 
Richmond,  and  commander  of  the  forces  there,  that 
no  interview  could  be  obtained  with  the  Secretary  of 
War,  except  upon  business  especially  connected  with 
the  military  department,  as  they  were  daily  expecting 
an  attack  from  the  Federal  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
the  Secretary  was  wholly  engaged  with  officers  of  the 
army. 

Among  the  acquaintances  which  Webster  formed, 
was  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  William  Campbell, 
originally  a  Baltimorean,  to  whom  he  brought  a  let- 
ter of  introduction  from  the  father  of  the  young 
man.  Campbell  treated  my  operative  with  the 
utmost  friendliness  and  courtesy,  and  invited  him  to 
a  drive  during  the  afternoon.  The  invitation  was 
accepted,  and  as  the  weather  was  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired, they  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  afternoon.  They 
visited  the  environs  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the 
defenses,  and  Webster  noted  the  fact  that  there  were 
seventeen  very  superior  earth-work  batteries  around 
the  town,  forming  a  rude  semicircle  with  either  end 
resting  on  the  James  river.  The  entrenchments 
around  each  of  these  batteries  were  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  about  ten  feet  deep. 
Some  of  the  batteries  were  designed  for  six  guns  and 


316  EARTHWORKS    AROUND 

some  for  sixteen.  They  were  nearly  all  completed  at 
this  time,  and  the  work  upon  them  had  been  done 
exclusively  by  negro  slaves.  In  most  cases  they  were 
mounted  with  their  full  complement  of  guns,  varying 
in  caliber,  from  thirty-two  to  sixty-four  pounds. 
The  land  around  Richmond  consists  of  hills  and  val- 
leys, and  the  batteries  were  planted  on  the  most 
elevated  and  commanding  points.  The  heaviest  of 
these  commanded  the  turnpikes  and  railroads  which 
formed  the  approaches  from  Manassas  and  Freder- 
icksburg. 

After  visiting  the  batteries,  Webster  went  with 
Campbell  to  the  ordnance  department,  where  he  was 
introduced  to  several  persons  who  had  charge  of  the 
ordnance  stores,  and  from  whom  he  elicited  much 
valuable  information.  Among  other  things,  he  was 
informed  by  the  Colonel  in  charge,  that  the  "  Ber- 
muda," an  English  vessel  which  had  recently  run 
the  blockade,  had  brought  over  for  the  Confederate 
government  twelve  thousand  Enfield  rifles,  a  large 
supply  of  cavalry  swords  and  a  number  of  rifled  can- 
non ;  and  that,  upon  trial,  the  rifled  cannon  were  found 
to  be  more  accurate  than  any  of  their  brass  pieces. 

On  the  following  day  Webster  concluded  to  make 
another  inspection  of  the  earth-works  around  the  city. 
He  went  alone  and  on  foot  this  time,  as  he  desired 
to  make  some  notes  and  calculations,  which  he  was 
unable  to  do  in  the  presence  of  others  without  run- 
ning an  unnecessary  risk.  It  was  a  fine,  brisk  morn- 


THE    REBEL     CAPITAL.  317 

ing,  the  air  was  slightly  tinged  with  the  coolness  of 
approaching  winter,  and  the  spy  occupied  the  entire 
forenoon  in  strolling  leisurely  from  point  to  point, 
apparently  with  the  single  object  of  idling  away  a  few 
leisure  hours.  Now  he  passed  some  men  engaged  in 
planting  a  cannon  on  one  of  the  redoubts,  and  again 
he  saw  a  group  of  slaves  busily  at  work  with  pickaxes 
and  shovels,  but  no  one  seemed  to  pay  any  attention 
to  him. 

About  noon  he  came  upon  a  scene,  which,  though 
characteristic  of  the  time  and  place,  was  rather  a  novel 
sight  to  a  Northern  man,  and  he  stopped  to  view  it 
with  considerable  interest.  In  a  sunny  spot  near  the 
river  bank  about  a  dozen  negro  laborers  were 
gathered,  their  surroundings  showing  that  they  had 
just  left  off  work  for  the  enjoyment  of  their  allotted 
hour  of  rest,  at  noon.  Having  finished  their  mid-day 
repast,  they  were  now  filling  their  time  by  indulging  in 
a  species  of  amusement  peculiar  to  their  race.  On  a 
pine  log  sat  a  jolly-looking  old  negro,  whose  hair  was 
white  as  snow  and  whose  face  was  black  as  ebony, 
grinning,  and  rolling  his  head  from  side  to  side,  while 
he  patted  "  Juba"  with  great  energy  and  skill,  on  his 
knees,  chest  and  head.  The  other  darkies  were 
dancing  to  the  "music,"  and  apparently  enjoying  the 
sport  to  an  unlimited  degree. 

The  detective  was  amused  at  the  spectacle,  but 
this  feeling  gave  way  to  one  of  surprise  and  curiosity, 
as  he  looked  more  intently  at  the  white-haired  old 


3i8  EARTHWORKS    AROUND 

man  who  was  acting  as  musician.     There  was  some- 
thing strikingly  familiar  in  those  black,  smiling  features. 
Surely  this  was  not  the  first  time  he  had  seen  that 
face,  or  witnessed  that  tremendous  grin.     Where-had  • 
he  met  this  darky  before  ? 

Suddenly  his  recollection  was  quickened.  The 
person  in  question  was  none  other  than  Uncle  Gallus, 
the  servant  of  ex-Governor  Morton,  whom  he  had 
seen  in  my  office  at  Washington,  on  the  day  that  I 
had  questioned  him  about  his  mistress.  This  fact 
was  clear  enough  to  Webster,  but  somewhat  surpris- 
ing, withal.  He  remembered  that  Uncle  Gallus  had, 
on  that  occasion,  represented  the  Mortons  as  very 
indulgent  slave-owners,  who  never  permitted  him  to 
perform  any  hard  labor ;  yet  here  he  was,  in  the  role 
of  a  common  workman,  employed  upon  the  fortifica- 
tions around  Richmond. 

Whatever  had  caused  this  change,  however,  it  did 
not  appear  to  weigh  heavily  upon  the  old  darky,  for  at 
this  moment  he  was  in  the  very  ecstasy  of  delight,  as  he 
patted  inspiration  into  the  nimble  feet  of  his  com- 
panions. The  other  darkies  danced  until  their  faces 
shone  with  perspiration,  and  the  manner  in  which 
their  loose-jointed  limbs  swung  and  wriggled,  sug- 
gested the  idea  that  those  members  were  hung  on 
pivots.  They  leaped  and  vaulted,  and  flung  their 
heels  in  the  airs,  as  if  they  were  so  many  jumping- 
jacks  and  Uncle  Gallus  was  pulling  the  string. 

The  latter  hummed  snatches  of  plantation  melodies 


THE    REBEL    CAPITAL.  319 

as  he  warmed  up  to  his  work,  and  finally  he  sung  a 
series  of  characteristic  verses,  of  which  the  following 
are  a  sample : 

"  Did  you  ebber  see  a  woodchuck  lookin'  at  a  coon-fight  ? 

Linkum  am  a-comin'  by'm-bye  ; 
Did  you  ebber  see  a  niggah  gal  dancin'  in  de  moonlight? 

Glory,  glory,  glory  hallelujerum  ! 

"  Possum  up  a  gum-stump,  chawin'  slippery-ellum, 

Linkum  am  a-comin'  by'm-bye  ; 
Nigga's  in  de  market  an'  massa  tryin'  to  sell  'em — 

Glory,  glory,  glory  hallelujerum  ! 

"Secesh  in  Richmon' — de  Yankee  boys  has  treed  'em — 

Linkum  am  a-comin'  by'm-bye  ; 
All  de  little  pickaninnies  gwine  to  git  dar  freedom — 

Glory,  glory,  glory  hallelujerum  !" 

Suddenly  the  merriment  of  the  blacks  was  inter- 
rupted in  a  most  unexpected  manner. 

Some  tall  bushes  that  covered  the  top  of  a  slight 
elevation  near  by  were  suddenly  parted,  and  a  man, 
wearing  the  uniform  of  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Confeder- 
ate army,  leaped  down  among  the  astonished  revelers. 
In  a  towering  rage,  he  turned  upon  Uncle  Gallus  and 
shouted : 

"  Shut  your  head,  you  d d  old  villain,  or  I'll 

fill  your  black  hide  with  lead  !"  and  he  flourished  a 
cocked  revolver  in  the  face  of  the  terrified  negro. 

"  Afo'  God,  Massa,  we  didn't  mean  no  harm,  we's 
jes  passin'  away  de  time,"  said  Uncle  Gallus,  in  a 
frightened  voice. 


320  EARTHWORKS    AROUND 

"Well,  then,"  said  the  officer,  with  an  oath,  "  be  a 
little  more  careful  in  the  future  about  the  kind  of 

songs  you  sing,  or  I'll  have  every  d d  one  of  you 

bucked  and  gagged,  and  whipped  within  an  inch  of 
your  lives." 

Replacing  his  weapon,  and  turning  on  his  heel,  he 
was  striding  angrily  away  when  he  came  face  to  face 
with  Webster. 

The  recognition  was  mutual  and  instantaneous 
between  the  two  men.  As  quick  as  a  flash  Webster 
had  his  revolver  cocked  and  pointed  at  the  head  of 
the  blustering  Confederate. 

"  Bill  Zigler,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  You 
move  at  your  peril." 

"  I'd  kill  you,  curse  you,  but  you've  got  the  drop 
on  me  now,  as  you  had  once  before.  But  my  time 
will  come,  you  d d  Yankee  spy!" 

"  Look  here,  Bill !"  said  Webster,  anxious,  if  pos- 
sible, to  disarm  at  once  and  forever  the  suspicions  of 
his  enemy,  "what  is  the  use  of  our  being  continually 
at  daggers'  points  ?  You  were  foolish  enough  to  insult 
me  in  Baltimore  by  impeaching  my  loyalty  to  the 
South,  and  I  resented  it,  as  any  man  would.  If  you 
repeat  the  vile  slander,  I'll  do  the  same  thing.  If, 
however,  you  have  anything  personal  against  me,  and 
must  fight,  I'll  put  up  my  weapon  and  meet  you 
hand  to  hand." 

Zigler  looked  at  the  speaker  a  moment,  and  then 
advancing  and  extending  his  hand,  said  : 


THE    REBEL     CAPITAL.  321 

"Webster,  put  up  your  pistol;  I  guess  I've  made 

a  d d  fool  of  myself.      I  did  think  you  were  a  spy, 

but  I  knock  under  ;  I  don't  want  to  be  an  enemy  to 
such  a  friend  to  the  cause  as  I  now  believe  you  to 
be." 

Lowering  his  revolver,  Webster  good-naturedly 
received  the  friendly  overtures  of  his  former  foe. 

"  I  thought  you  would  come  to  your  senses  at 
last ;  but  when  did  you  come  down  here  ?" 

"  Oh,  I've  been  here  several  weeks.  I  enlisted  in 
Baltimore  and  came  down  as  a  lieutenant,  "  answered 
Zigler.  "  But  where  are  you  from  ?"  he  continued, 
"and-  what  is  the  news  from  the  Monumental 
City  ?" 

"  I  am  just  from  that  city,"  replied  Webster,  "and 
have  brought  a  number  of  letters  for  parties  here  and 
at  Manassas.  I  expect  to  go  to  the  Junction  to-mor- 
row, if  I  succeed  in  getting  a  pass." 

"  Who  do  you  want  to  see  there  ?" 

"Well,  I  want  to  see  John  Bowen,"  replied  Web- 
ster, naming  a  particular  friend  of  Zigler's,  whom  he 
knew  was  at  Manassas.  "  I  understand  he  is  down 
with  typhoid  fever,  and  will  no  doubt  be  glad  to  hear 
from  home." 

This  straightforward  story  completely  disarmed 
the  suspicions  of  the  bully  as.  to  Webster's  true  char- 
acter, and  finding  that  he  had  time  to  spare  he  invited 
the  scout  to  his  quarters. 

Thus  the  quarrel  was  settled  between  these;  two 


21 


322  EARTHWORKS    AROUND 

men,  and  the  superior  tact  and  coolness  of  Webster 
had  succeeded  in  making  a  friend  of  a  man  who 
might  have  seriously  interfered  with  his  operations, 
and  probably  have  jeopardized  his  life. 

As  they  were  leaving  the  place,  Webster  cast  a 
look  at  the  group  of  negroes,  whose  mirth  had  been 
so  suddenly  interrupted,  and  he  noticed  that  they 
were  regarding  the  Lieutenant  with  looks  of  sullen 
anger.  He  was,  however,  considerably  relieved  to 
find  that  Uncle  Gallus  had  not  recognized  him,  and 
that  as  far  as  the  aged  negro  was  concerned,  he  had 
nothing  to  fear.  He  accompanied  Zigler  to  his 
quarters,  where  they  chatted  pleasantly  for  an  hour, 
after  which  Webster  returned  to  his  hotel,  a  much 
wiser  man  than  when  he  first  started  out  upon  his 
walk. 

As  he  s'auntered  quietly  back  to  the  city,  he  felt 
quite  elated  at  the  success  of  his  management  of  Zig- 
ler, whom  he  had  made  a  fast  friend.  After  supper, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Campbell,  he  strolled  about  the 
city  for  a  short  time,  when  his  companion  excused 
himself,  and  Webster  pursued  his  way  alone.  He 
was  walking  along  Utah  street,  apparently  deeply  ab- 
sorbed in  his  own  meditations,  when  he  heard  a  voice 
behind  him. 

"Hole  on  dar,  Massa  !" 

Turning  around,  he  was  surprised  to  see  Uncle 
Gallus,  approaching  him  as  rapidly  as  his  stiffened 
limbs  would  permit. 


THE    REBEL     CAPITAL.  323 

"  Well,  uncle,"  said  Webster,  as  the  old  man 
caught  up  to  him — "  did  you  speak  to  me  ?" 

"  You'se  de  man  dat  I.  'dressed,  sah — done  you 
know  me  ?"  said  the  old  fellow,  peering  anxiously  in 
the  face  of  the  detective. 

"  No,  I  don't  remember  you,"  said  Webster,  de- 
termined to  ascertain  whether  the  old  darky  did 
know  him ;  "  where  have  you  ever  seen  me  ?" 

"  In  Washington,  sah,"  replied  Uncle Gallus;  "don' 
you  remember  you  saw  me  at  Majah  Allen's,  when  I 
was  dah  libin  wid  Missus  Morton  ?" 

Webster  looked  at  the  negro  a  moment,  and  then, 
feeling  assured  of  the  friendliness  of  his  interlocutor, 
he  said : 

"  Your  face  does  seem  familiar  to  me ;  what  is  your 
name  ?" 

"  Dey  calls  me  Uncle  Gallus,  sah,"  answered  the 
old  fellow. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Webster,  "now  I  remember 
you." 

"Golly,  massa,"  grinned  Uncle  Gallus,  "wen  I 
seed  you  gib  it  to  Bill  Zigler  dis  mo'nin',  I  dun 
knowed  you  right  away,  but  I  wouldn't  say  nuffin'  for 
de  world,  fo'  I  knowed  you  was  a  pullin'  de  wool  ober 
his  eyes." 

Knowing  full  well  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  Uncle  Gallus,  he  talked  with  him  good-natur- 
edly on  various  topics,  and  in  the  course  of  the  con- 
versation he  learned  that  he  was  no  longer  with  Mrs. 


324  EARTHWORKS    AROUND 

Morton,  having  been  disposed  of  by  her,  some  time 
before,  and  that  he  was  now  being  used  by  the  Con- 
federate government  to  work  upon  the  fortifications. 
Not  deeming  it  advisable  to  remain  long  in  conversa- 
tion with  the  old  darky  on  the  streets,  he  told  him 
that  he  would  see  him  in  a  day  or  two,  and  placing  a 
coin  in  the  old  man's  hand,  he  bade  him  good-night. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Campbell  and  Webster 
visited  General  Jones,  and  obtained  the  sought-for 
passes  to  -Manassas,  for  which  place  he  left  early  in 
the  forenoon.  On  his  arrival  there,  he  learned  that 
John  Bowen,  for  whom  he  had  a  letter,  had  been 
taken  to  Richmond,  but  having  several  other  messa- 
ges to  deliver  to  parties  of  prominence  there,  he 
busied  himself  during  the  day  in  forming  acquaint- 
ances, and  in  acquiring  knowledge.  From  Manassas 
he  went  to  Centreville,  where  he  remained  a  few  days, 
and  from  thence  to  Warrington,  and  finally  back 
again  to  Richmond,  where  he  delivered  his  remaining 
letters.  Here  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Price,  who  was  engaged  in  running 
the  blockade,  and  who  was  making  arrangements 
to  return  to  Baltimore,  to  purchase  a  fresh  supply  of 
goods.  Together  they  went  to  the  office  of  the  Pro- 
vost-Marshal, where  they  obtained  the  necessary 
passes  to  insure  their  safe  journey  through  the  rebel 
lines. 

Leaving  Richmond,  they  went  to  Fredericksburg, 
where  he  stayed  long  enough  to  visit  all  the  places  of 


THE    REBEL     CAPITAL.  325 

interest  around  that  city,  and  in  company  with  Mr. 
Price  they  went  on  to  Brooks  Station,  the  head-quar- 
ters of  General  Holmes,  with  whom  Price  was  inti- 
mately acquainted.  After  remaining  several  days,  he 
left  his  companion,  making  his  way  to  Yorktown  and 
Gloucester  Point,  and  from  thence  to  Washington, 
where  he  reported  to  me. 

This  first  visit  of  Timothy  Webster  to  Richmond 
was  highly  successful.  Not  only  had  he  made  many 
friends  in  that  city,  who  would  be  of  service  to  him 
on  subsequent  trips,  but  the  information  he  derived 
was  exceedingly  valuable.  He  was  able  to  report 
very  correctly  the  number  and  strength  of  the  fortifi- 
cations around  the  rebel  capital,  to  estimate  the  num- 
ber of  troops  and  their  sources  of  supplies,  and  also 
the  forts  between  that  city  and  Manassas  Junction. 
His  notes  of  the  topography  of  the  country  were  of 
the  greatest  value,  and  he  received  the  warmest 
thanks  of  the  commanding  general,  for  what  he  had 
thus  far  been  able  to  accomplish. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Again  in  Baltimore. — A    Warning. — The  Spy  is  Arrested, 

and  Escapes. 

AFTER  the  return  of  Timothy  Webster  from 
/*•  Richmond  and  Manassas,  I  deemed  it  best 
that  he  should  again  visit  Baltimore  and  mingle 
once  more  with  his  rebel  friends  in  that  city.  Since 
the  summary  collapse  of  the  Knights  of  Liberty  the 
majority  of  them  had  been  remarkably  quiet,  and  no 
indications  were  apparent  that  they  contemplated 
any  further  proceedings  of  a  treasonable  nature.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  on  the  night  that  the  secret 
meeting  was  disturbed,  Webster  managed  in  some 
unaccountable  manner  to  escape,  and  that  he  had  dis- 
appeared almost  immediately  afterwards.  As  no  sus- 
picion existed  as  yet  of  his  having  been  concerned  in 
the  affair,  and  as  his  prolonged  absence  might  give 
rise  to  doubts  of  his  loyalty,  I  concluded  that  it  was 
best  for  him  to  again  show  himself  among  his  old 
associates,  and  account  for  his  escape  in  a  manner 
that  would  appear  truthful  and  straightforward. 

He  accordingly  took  the  train,  and  after  arriving 
in    Baltimore,   he  went   directly   to    Miller's    Hotel. 

Here  he  found  several  of  his  friends,  and  their  greet- 
326 


THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED.  327 

ings  were  most  cordial  and  hearty.  In  a  few  moments 
others  of  the  party  had  been  notified,  and  came 
thronging  in  to  welcome  him  and  to  congratulate  him 
upon  his  escape  and  present  safety.  Eager  inquiries 
were  made  as  to  the  manner  in  which  he  had  so  suc- 
cessfully eluded  the  soldiers,  and  how  he  had  spent 
the  time  since  the  occurrence  of  that  event.  In 
reply  Webster  gave  a  satisfactory  and  highly  interest- 
ing account  of  his  movements,  all  of  which  -was 
heartily  enjoyed  by  his  listening  friends.  Gratified 
beyond  expression  at  the  pleasant  condition  of  affairs, 
he  became  quite  jolly,  and  the  balance  of  the  evening 
was  spent  in  convivial  and  social  enjoyment. 

On  the  following  morning  he  started  out  in  search 
of  his  old  friend  Sam  Sloan,  for  whom  he  had  a  letter 
from  his  brother,  who  was  in  the  rebel  army,  and 
stationed  at  Centreville.  Having  also  a  number  of 
letters  for  other  Baltimoreans,  he  desired  to  secure 
Sloan's  services  in  their  proper  and  safe  delivery. 

Sam  looked  in  astonishment  as  Webster  blandly 
approached  him,  and  after  an  effusive  greeting  he 
remarked  earnestly  : 

"  Webster,  you'll  have  to  be  mighty  careful  now, 
or  you  will  be  arrested  yet.  We  are  watched  night 
and  day — the  least  suspicious  move  we  make  is  re- 
ported at  once — and  if  repeated,  the  first  thing  the 
offender  knows  he  finds  himself  in  the  guard-house.'" 

"  Well,"  replied  Webster,  laughingly,  "  I'll  have  to 
take  my  chances  with  the  rest  of  you." 


328  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED 

"I  know  your  grit,  Webster,"  said  Sloan,  "but 
by  all  means  be  careful.  I  was  arrested  myself  since 
you  went  away." 

"  The  deuce  you  were !"  ejaculated  Webster. 
"How  did  that  occur?" 

"  Well,  I  went  over  to  Washington  to  transact  a 
little  business,  and  while  there  I  met  some  of  the 
boys,  and  we  had  a  little  'time.'  I  don't  know  what 
I  did,  but  when  I  started  to  come  home,  the  Provost- 
Marshal  arrested  me,  and  I  had  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  before  I  could  get  away." 

"You  don't  tell  me  that  you  took  the  oath, 
Sam  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  laughed  Sam.  "  I  would  take  twenty 
oaths  before  I  would  be  locked  up ;"  and  then  he 
added  :  "  I  tell  you,  we  are  all  spotted  here  in  this 
city,  and  who  is  doing  it  we  can't  find  out." 

"  What  makes  you  think  that  ?"  inquired  Web- 
ster, doubtfully. 

"  Many  things.  Why,  only  the  other  day  I  was 
taken  before  Lieutenant  Watts,  who  has  charge  of 

o 

the  station-house,  and  the  questions  he  put  to  me 
about  the  gang,  convinced  me  that  he  knew  a  great 
deal  more  than  was  good  for  us." 

"  Did  he  ask  anything  about  me  ?"  queried  Web- 
ster. 

"No,"  replied  Sam,  "and  if  he  had  I  wouldn't 
have  told  him  anything,  you  may  be  sure." 

"  I  can    readily  believe  that,"  said   the  detective, 


AND  «  ESCAPES.  329 

"  but  if  it  is  so  dangerous  here,  how  am   I  going  to 
deliver  these  letters  ?" 

"  I  can  help  you  there,"  said  Sloan,  after  a  mo- 
ment's consideration  ;  "  John  Earl,  Richardson  and  I 
will  see  that  they  are  delivered,  and  that  will  keep 
you  from  incurring  suspicion." 

"That  will  do,"  said  Webster,  "and  you  can  tell 
the  people  you  see  to  write  their  answers  at  once,  and 
inclose  them  in  two  envelopes,  one  directed  to  their 
friend,  and  the  other  to  John  Hart,  at  Miller's  Hotel." 

"  I  understand ;  but  who  is  this  John  Hart  you 
mention — can  we  trust  him  ?" 

,    "  I    think    so,"    replied    the    detective,    laughing 
heartily  ;  "his  other  name  is  Timothy  Webster." 

"  By  Jove,  Webster;  you're  a  good  one ;  I  begin  to 
think  myself  that  there  isn't  so  much  danger  of  your 
getting  caught  after  all." 

This  being  satisfactorily  arranged,  the  two  men 
started  in  search  of  John  Earl  and  Richardson,  who 
both  agreed  to  assist  in  the  delivery  of  the  letters 
which  Webster  had  brought  with  him  from  the  South, 
They  all  went  to  the  room  occupied  by  the  detective 
at  the  hotel,  and  after  a  friendly  drink,  the  letters 
were  properly  assorted,  and  each  man  was  given  his 
particular  portion.  They  were  instructed  to  request 
answers  from  those  only  in  whose  friendship  they 
could  implicitly  rely,  and  to  take  in  person  any  that 
were  prepared  at  the  time. 

In  the  afternoon,  Webster  called  on    Mr.  Camp- 


330  THE    SPY    IS.  ARRESTED 

bell,  the  father  of  the  young  man  who  had  accom- 
panied him  on  his  trip  from  Richmond  to  Manassas 
Junction.  The  old  gentleman  was  rejoiced  to  hear 
from  his  son,  and  after  a  few  minutes'  conversation 
Webster  discovered  that  he  was  quite  as  bitter  a 
secessionist  as  any  one  he  had  met,  although  he  was 
quite  aged  and  not  very  active.  He  informed  the 
detective  that  he  had  once  made  a  very  handsome 
horse-bit  for  General  McClellan,  and  that  he  was  now 
making  one  for  General  Johnston,  which  he  would  like 
Webster  to  take  with  him  when  he  next  went  to 
Richmond,  and  deliver  it  to  the  General  in  person. 

"Have  everything  ready,"  said  the  detective,  "and 
I  will  see  that  it  reaches  its  destination  in  safety." 

Returning  to  the  hotel,  he  went  in  to  supper,  and 
after  a  hearty  repast  seated  himself  in  the  reading- 
room  to  await  the  return  of  his  mail-carriers.  While 
carelessly  glancing  over  the  columns  of  a  daily  paper, 
he  was  approached  by  a  gentleman,  who  stepped  in 
front  of  him,  exclaiming  heartily :  "  Why,  Mr.  Web- 
ster, how  do  you  do  ?  I  am  glad  to  see  you  ;  when 
did  you  get  back  to  Baltimore  ?" 

Looking  up  hastily  from  his  paper,  Webster 
recognized  the  speaker  as  Mr.  Price,  the  blockade- 
runner  whom  he  had  met  in  Richmond,  and  with 
whom  he  had  traveled  some  distance  through  the 
rebel  country. 

Their  greeting  was  most  cordial,  and  the  return  of 
John  Earl  and  Sam  Sloan  found  the  two  men  engaged 


AND    ESCAPES.  331 

in  animated  conversation.  From  Price,  Webster 
learned  that  a  large  amount  of  goods  had  been  pur- 
chased by  several  wealthy  gentlemen  of  Baltimore, 
who  had  adopted  a  very  novel  manner  of  transporting 
them  into  rebeldom,  without  danger  from  Federal 
pickets  or  gunboats.  Their  plan  was  to  ship  the  goods 
upon  a  vessel  bound  for  Europe  and  ostensibly  the 
goods  were  intended  for  the  same  destination.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  a  small  boat  was  purchased,  which  was 
to  be  taken  in  tow  by  the  steamer.  By  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  captain  the  vessel  was  to  stand  in  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  mouth  of  York  river,  when 
the  small  boat  was  to  be  brought  alongside,  then  the 
goods  were  to  be  transferred  to  it,  and  the  owners 
were  to  pull  up  the  river  to  Yorktown,  effect  a  safe 
landing,  and  the  rest  would  be  an  easy  task. 

Webster  complimented  his  companion  on  the 
shrewdness  displayed  in  this  suggestion,  and  that 
evening  he  wrote  to  me,  conveying  full  particulars  o£ 
the  proposed  blockade-running. 

It  43  needless  to  say  that  this  little  plan,  shrewd  as 
it  was,  failed  of  execution.  Men  were  at  once  placed 
upon  the  track  of  these  merchants,  and  a  more  sur- 
prised coterie  never  existed  than  were  these  gentle- 
men, when  their  goods,  carefully  labeled  for  a  foreign 
port,  were  seized  by  the  government,  and  their  con- 
veyance to  the  South  effectually  stopped.  An 
examination  of  the  goods  fully  confirmed  the  correct- 
ness of  Webster's  information,  and  this  venture,  at 


332  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED 

least,  was  a  losing  speculation   to    those    who    had 
engaged  in  it. 

After  Mr.  Price  had  taken  his  departure,  John 
Earl  called  Webster  aside,  and  informed  him  that  a 
gentleman  desired  to  send  a  draft  for  a  large  amount 
of  money  to  Richmond,  and  that  he  had  insisted  on 
placing  it  in  the  hands  of  John  Hart  himself. 

"  Do  you  know  this  man,  and  that  he  is  all  right  ?" 
asked  Webster. 

"  No,"  replied  Earl,  "  I  know  nothing  about  him 
except  that  he  is  vouched  for  by  three  parties  who 
are  true,  and  they  say  he  is  all  right." 

"  I  don't  like  this  idea,"  said  Webster,  doubtfully  ; 
"  I  guess  you  had  better  tell  this  man  that  you  will 
deliver  it  safely  for  him,  and  then  you  can  hand  it  to 
me." 

"  I  did  suggest  that,  but  he  said  his  orders  were 
to  intrust  it  to  no  one  but  John  Hart  himself." 
•  After  considering  for  some  time,  Webster  finally 
concluded  to  see  the  individual  in  person.  He  was 
satisfied  that  no  harm  could  come  to  him  if  the  man 
was  a  Federal  detective,  as,  by  application  to  the 
authorities  or  to  me  he  could  readily  extricate  himself 
from  any  difficulty,  and  if  he  was  a  rebel,  he  would 
incur  no  risk  whatever. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  after  he  had  fully  deliberated 
the  question,  "you  can  bring  him  to  my  room  and 
then  we  will  see.  what  is  to  be  done.  Meanwhile  I 
will  take  a  short  walk  and  smoke  a  cigar." 


AND    ESCAPES.  333 

On  his  return  he  found  John  Earl  awaiting  him. 

"  The  gentleman  is  up-stairs  in  my  room,"  said 
Earl ;  "  will  you  go  up  now  and  see  him  ?" 

Webster  signified  his  willingness,  and  the  two 
men  ascended  the  stairs.  As  they  entered  the  room 
the  stranger  arose  to  greet  them,  and  Webster 
scrutinized  him  carefully.  The  result  of  his  scrutiny 
was  decidedly  unsatisfactory.  The  new-comer  was  a 
tall,  well-formed  man,  of  about  forty  years  of  age. 
His  hair  was  dark,  and  he  wore  long  side-whiskers  of 
the  same  color.  In  appearance  he  was  what  would 
be  ordinarily  considered  a  handsome  man,  but  there 
was  a  look  of  quiet  curiosity  about  the  eyes,  and  a 
peculiar  curl  about  the  mouth,  which  struck  Webster 
very  unpleasantly,  and  caused  him  to  instinctively 
regret  having  accorded  him  the  interview  which  he 
desired. 

"  Mr.  Hart,"  said  the  stranger,  pleasantly,  after 
they  had  been  formally  introduced  to  each  other,  "  I 
have  a  letter  here,  inclosing  a  draft,  which  I  am 
desirous  of  having  safely  delivered  to  my  sister-in-law 
in  Richmond.  You  will  find  the  address  upon  the 
envelope  inside.  Can  you  attend  to  this  ?" 

"  I  guess  so,"  replied  Webster.  "  I  can  try,  at  all 
events." 

Webster  could  not  overcome  a  feeling  of  unrest 
and  suspicion,  as  he  conversed  with  the  man,  and  he 
felt  considerably  relieved  when,  after  expressing  his 
thanks,  he  took  his  departure. 


334  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED, 

The  next  morning  Webster  was  astir  early,  and 
after  partaking  of  a  hearty  breakfast,  he  thought  he 
would  pay  another  visit  to  Mr.  Bowen.  Leaving  the 
hotel,  he  walked  rapidly  down  the  street  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  old  man's  residence.  He  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  when,  on  turning  around,  he  noticed  that 
his  friend  of  the  night  before  was  walking  upon  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  but  a  short  distance 
behind  him.  Finding  that  he  was  observed,  the  man 
crossed  the  street,  and  after  bidding  Webster  a  very 
cordial  good-morning,  said  : 

"  Mr.  Hart,  as  we  are  walking  in  the  same 
direction,  if  you  have  no  objection,  we  will  walk 
together." 

Webster  assented,  and  for  a  short  distance  they 
journeyed  along,  indulging  in  a  very  constrained  con- 
versation. Webster  felt  assured  that  the  man  had 
been  following  him,  and  that  his  apparent  friendliness 
was  assumed.  Desiring  to  rid  himself  of  his  unwel- 
come and  uncomfortable  companion,  he  was  upon  the 
point  of  expressing  himself  very  forcibly,  when  he 
was  startled  by  the  stranger  grasping  him  firmly  by 
the  arm,  and  ejaculating  : 

"John  Hart,  you  are  my  prisoner!" 

Had  a  thunderbolt  fallen  at  his  feet  he  could  not 
have  been  more  surprised,  but  recovering  himself 
quickly,  he  wrenched  himself  from  the  grasp  of  the 
man. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?"  he  asked. 


AND    ESCAPES.  335 

"  Just  what  I  have  said,"  replied  the  other,  coolly  ; 
"  there  is  no  occasion  for  any  controversy  upon  the 
question,  and  as  you  are  directly  in  front  of  the 
station-house,  resistance  would  be  worse  than  use- 
less." 

The  cool  manner  in  which  these  words  were 
spoken  exasperated  Webster  beyond  control,  but  he 
saw  that  there  were  two  soldiers  standing  guard  in  the 
doorway,  and  he  realized  at  once  that  any  attempt  at 
escape  would  be  foolhardy  in  the  extreme.  He 
therefore  submitted  quietly,  and  suffered  himself  to 
be  led  into  the  building,  where  an  officer  was  seated 
at  a  table,  examining  the  reports  of  the  previous  day. 

The  recognition  between  the  Lieutenant  and 
Webster's  captor  appeared  to  be  mutual,  and,  indeed, 
the  presence  of  my  operative  did  not  seem  to  be  an 
unlooked-for  event. 

"  Lieutenant,  this  is  Mr.  Hart,"  said  the  stranger. 

"  All  right,"  replied  that  officer,  "  we  will  take  good 
care  of  him." 

After  a  short  consultation,  held  in  a  tone  too  low 
for  Webster  to  hear,  the  stranger  took  his  leave,  and 
the  officer  turned  to  the  detective : 

"  Come  with  me,  sir ;  your  case  will  be  attended 
to  in  the  course  of  the  day." 

"  Lieutenant,  I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  a 
moment,  now  that  we  are  alone,"  said  Webster,  de- 
sirous of  ending  the  matter,  and  of  enabling  the 
Lieutenant  to  ascertain  his  true  character. 


336  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED, 

"  I  have  no  time  to  talk  with  rebels,"  said  the 
officer,  shortly,  and  then  calling  to  the  turnkey,  he 
direected  him  to  place  Webster  in  a  cell. 

Deeply  resenting  the  treatment  of  the  officer,  but 
feeling  that  opposition  would  only  aggravate  his  an- 
noyance, Webster  followed  the  man,  internally  vow- 
ing vengeance  against  the  fellow  who  had  instigated 
his  arrest.  He  was  anxious  to  express  himself  forci- 
bly to  the  officer  in  charge,  but  he  considered  that  he 
would  probably  do  the  same  thing  under  the  same  cir- 
cumstances. The  Lieutenant  believed  him  to  be  a 
rebel,  and  as  such  his  treatment  was  harsh  and  impolite, 
and  after  debating  the  matter  in  his  mind  he  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  was  not  much  to  blame  after 
all.  He  was  desirous,  however,  of  communicating  with 
some  one  who  could  intercede  for  him,  and  by  that 
means  secure  his  release,  and  he  resolved  to  make 
friends  with  his  jailer  as  the  best  possible  way  of 
obtaining  what  he  wanted. 

Shortly  after  he  had  been  incarcerated,  he  heard 
the  voices  of  Sam  Sloan  and  John  Earl,  who  had 
been  informed  of  his  arrest  and  had  come  to  see  him. 
Their  request  was  denied,  however,  and  they  ex- 
pressed themselves  in  very  loud  tones  against  the 
injustice  they  were  compelled  to  submit  to.  All  to 
no  avail,  however,  and  they  reluctantly  took  their 
leave.  The  turnkey  coming  along  the  corridor  at 
this  time,  Webster  called  to  him,  and  requested  his 
attention  for  a  few  moments.  The  man  was  about 


AND    ESCAPES.  337 

sixty  years  of  age,  and  had  a  very  benignant  coun- 
tenance, which  Webster  argued  was  a  good  omen  for 
the  work  of  propitiation  which  he  had  in  hand. 

"  Will  you  tell  the  Lieutenant  that  I  would  like 
to  speak  with  him,"  asked  Webster. 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  the  old  man,  with  a  shake  of 
the  head ;  "  the  Lieutenant  says  he  won't  have  any- 
thing to  say  to  you,  until  your  case  is  reported  to 
headquarters  this  evening." 

"  Well,  then,"  smiled  Webster,  "  I  suppose  I  will 
have  to  wait  his  pleasure;  but  can't  a  fellow  get  a  lit- 
tle whisky  and  cigar  ?  I'll  make  it  worth  your  while 
if  you  can  help  me  in  that  particular." 

The  old  man  laughed,  and  said  he  would  see  what 
could  be  done,  as  Webster  slipped  a  bill  into  his 
hand.  He  disappeared,  and  after  about  a  half  hour, 
he  returned  and  slipped  a  small  bundle  through  the 
grated  door,  admonishing  Webster  to  be  careful 
about  exposing  himself  to  the  other  prisoners  within 
view. 

"  All  right,"  said  Webster,  "  you  keep  the  change, 
old  man,  for  your  trouble." 

In  the  afternoon  another  officer,  accompanied  by 
four  men,  came  to  his  cell,  and  requested  his  appear- 
ance at  the  office.  Here  he  was  carefully  searched,  and 
upon  his  person  were  found  some  letters  addressed  to 
himself;  a  pass  from  Col.  Cramp,  and  about  seventy 
dollars  in  money.  They  were  about  to  take  these 
from  him,  when  Webster  inquired : 


22 


338  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED, 

"  Who  was  the  man  who  arrested  me  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"  His  name  is  McPhail,  and  he  belongs  to  the 
secret  service,"  was  the  reply. 

At  the  mention  of  the  name,  Webster  started  in 
surprise.  He  had  heard  of  him  as  connected  with 
my  force,  and  knew  that  everything  would  soon  be  all 
right. 

"Well,"  said  Webster,  "will  you  be  kind  enough 
to  send  for  Mr.  McPhail,  and  ask  him  to  telegraph 
to  Major  Allen,  and  inquire  if  Tim  is  all  right  ?" 

"  What  Major  Allen  is  that  ?"  asked  the  officer. 

"Of  the  secret  service,"  replied  Webster. 
"McPhail  will  know  all  about  him;  and  you  will  learn 
that  I  am  no  rebel,  in  a  very  short  time." 

"  We  will  do  what  you  request,"  said  the  officer, 
"  and  if  you  are  all  right,  we  will  be  glad  to  find  it 
out." 

Thanking  the  officer  for  his  kindness,  Webster  was 
conducted  back  to  his  cell  to  await  developments. 

About  ten  o'clock  that  night,  the  officer  again 
made  his  appearance. 

"  John  Hart,  come  here." 

Webster  presented  himself  before  the  iron  grating 
of  his  cell. 

"  Is  your  name  John  Hart?" 

"  No,  sir,  my  name  is  Timothy  Webster." 

"  Well,  my  orders  are  for  a  man  named  Hart,  who 
is  to  be  taken  to  Fort  Me  Henry." 


AND    ESCAPES.  339 

Something  in  the  tone  of  the  man's  voice, 
and  in  the  twinkle  of  his  eye,  told  Webster  that 
everything  was  understood,  so  he  answered  at 
once: 

"  Very  well,  I  am  the  man  !" 

"  Come  with  me,  then." 

They  conducted  him  to  the  street,  where  he  saw 
a  covered  wagon  in  waiting.  They  all  got  in  and  then 
in  a  loud  voice  the  officer  gave  the  order : 

"  Drive  direct  to  Fort  McHenry  pier  !" 

After  they  had  started,  the  officer  explained  to 
Webster  that  it  had  been  arranged,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent suspicion,  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  jump 
from  the  wagon  as  it  was  driven  along,  and  after  a 
pretended  pursuit,  he  would  make  his  escape  to  his 
rebel  friends  with  whom  he  should  remain  quietly  for 
a  few  days,  and  then  return  to  Washington  and  re- 
port to  me. 

These  directions  he  implicitly  followed ;  ~and  seiz- 
ing a  favorable  opportunity,  he  leaped  from  the 
wagon  and  rapidly  made  his  way  in  the  direction  of 
the  city.  Going  directly  to  Sam  Sloan's,  he  knocked 
loudly  at  the  door.  After  a  few  minutes  a  window 
was  raised  and  a  voice  inquired  angrily  : 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want  ?" 

"  It  is  I — Webster — Sam,  come  down  and  open 
the  door." 

The  window  was  shut,  with  an  oath  of  joyful  sur- 
prise, and  in  a  twinkling,  the  door  was  opened,  and 


340 

Sloan  pulled  Webster  into  the  room,  closing  and 
locking  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Great  G — d,  Webster,  how  did  you  manage  to 
get  away  from  the  Yanks  ?" 

"Let  me  get  warm,  and  I'll  tell  you,"  replied 
Webster,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Come  up  stairs,"  said  Sloan  heartily,  "and  we'll 
have  something  to  drink." 

After  refreshing  themselves,  Webster  related  the 
manner  of  his  escape,  carefully  concealing  the  action 
of  the  officer,  and  the  fact  that  he  had  been  peaceably 
permitted  to  leave  the  vehicle — and  when  he  had  con- 
cluded, Sloan's  admiration  was  unbounded.  Promis- 
ing to  secrete  him  until  he  could  safely  get  away,  they 
all  went  to  bed,  and  slept  soundly. 

Early  the  next  morning  Sloan  left  the  house,  and 
after  an  absence  of  an  hour  or  two  returned,  bringing 
with  him  several  of  Webster's  trusty  friends,  among 
whom  was  John  Earl,  who  was  decidedly  crestfallen 
at  the  thought  of  having  been  instrumental  in  leading 
Webster  into  such  danger  by  introducing  the  strange 
man  to  him,  without  learning  more  about  his  charac- 
ter for  loyalty  to  the  cause.  They  were  all  overjoyed 
at  his  escape,  and  spent  the  afternoon  in  a  jollifica- 
tion over  his  safe  return.  The  newspapers  contained 
full  particulars  of  the  affair,  and  when  they  were 
brought  before  him  Webster  could  not  restrain  his 
laughter  at  their  contents,  as  he  read  : 


AND    ESCAPES.  341 

"ESCAPE   OF   A    STATE    PRISONER.* 

"It  was  rumored  yesterday  that  the  man  Webster, 
who  was  arrested,  stopping  at  the  hotel  of  Messrs. 
McGee,  upon  the  charge  of  being  concerned  in  the 
regular  transportation  of  letters  between  Baltimore 
and  the  seceded  States,  had  succeeded  in  making  his 
escape.  It  is  learned  upon  the  best  authority  that 
during  a  late  hour  of  the  night  he  was  removed  from 
the  western  police  station  and  placed  in  a  carriage 
under  the  charge  of  a  special  detective  officer.  The 
wagon  was  driven  towards  Fort  McHenry,  he  having 
been  previously  ordered  to  that  post,  but  while  the 
vehicle  was  in  motion,  and  when  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  their  destination,  he  gave  a  sudden  bound 
from  his  seat,  and  before  the  officer  could  seize  him, 
he  was  beyond  his  grasp.  It  is  not  known  which 
direction  he  took,  but  he  will  scarcely  be  able  to 
escape  from  the  city.  He  is  a  citizen  of  Kentucky, 
but  left  there  in  the  early  part  of  April,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  residing  in  Baltimore." 

In  another  paper  he  read  : 

f"  We  have  learned  from  an  entirely  reliable 
source  that  Mr.  Webster  was  arrested  in  endeavoring 
to  procure  replies  to  a  number  of  letters  which  he  had 
delivered  from  Marylanders  now  residing  in  Virginia  to 
friends  at  home.  A  fact  which,  in  view  of  the  haz- 
ards of  such  an  attempt,  should  content  the  unfor- 
tunate exiles  from  Maryland  with  the  gratification  of 
communication  with  their  friends  there  and  without 

*  The  above  is  from  the  Baltimore  American  of  November  22,  1861. 
f  The  above  is  taken  from  the  Gazette  of  November  22,  1861. 


342  THE    SPY    IS    ARRESTED. 

the  reciprocal  joy  of  hearing  from  the  latter  in  return. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  Webster  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  Yankees." 

Remaining  with  his  friends  until  after  midnight 
on  the  second  day,  he  made  his  way  to  the  train,  and 
at  4.30  in  the  morning  started  for  Washington,  where 
he  arrived  about  seven  o'clock,  and  reported  at  my 
headquarters. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  Webster  was  arrested  by 
one  of  my  men,  and  that  my  intervention  was  neces- 
sary to  effect  his  release,  but  a  few  words  will  serve 
as  an  explanation.  McPhail,  the  operative  who  had 
caused  Webster's  arrest,  had  never  seen  that  gentle- 
man, and  was  entirely  ignorant  of  his  true  character. 
Under  such  circumstances  he  very  naturally  was  led 
to  suspect  him  as  a  rebel  spy,  and  to  lay  the  trap  for 
his  capture.  The  delicate  and  important  duties 
which  had  been  assigned  to  Webster  were  such,  that 
I  deemed  it  advisable  to  inform  but  very  few  of  my 
men  of  his  immediate  connection  with  me,  hence  the 
arrest,  as  far  as  McPhail  was  concerned,  was  a  bona 
fide  revelation  of  what  he  believed  to  be  a  dangerous 
crime.  As  it  was,  the  arrest  did  no  harm,  but  rather 
enabled  Webster  to  cement  more  closely  the  bonds 
of  friendship  which  existed  between  himself  and  those 
with  whom  he  had  previously  associated. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Webster  and  Scobell.—A  Negro  as  a  Spy. — A  Traitor  Deserts 
from  the  Army. — He  Carries  Dispatches  to  the  Rebels, 
which  Fail  of   their   Destination. — An    Attack   in  tlie 
Woods. — -"  The  Loyal  League." — Slaves  as  Patriots. 

ON  the  first  day  of  November,  1861,  General 
McClellan  was  mad6  the  Commander-in-Chief 
of  all  the  armies  of  the  United  States.  Immediately 
on  assuming  this  important  position,  the  General 
turned  his  attention  to  the  entire  field  of  operations, 
regarding  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  as  a  branch, 
though  the  most  important  one,  of  the  armies  under 
his  command. 

Reliable  information  regarding  the  location  and 
strength  of  the  enemy  was  the  most  desirable  thing 
to  be  obtained  at  present,  and  although  Webster  had 
been  performing  giant  labor  in  this  direction,  his 
operations  comprised  but  a  minor  portion  of  the 
work  that  devolved  upon  me.  Numerous  men  of 
various  callings  and  abilities  were  traveling  through 
the  South,  gathering  items  of  news  wherever  possible, 
and  reporting  the  same  as  accurately  and  as  rapidly 
as  they  were  enabled  to  do  so.  So  numerous  were 
the  methods  which  I  employed  in  promoting  the 


344 

successful  operations  of  the  secret  service,  that  it  is 
possible  within  the  limits  of  the  present  volume  to 
enumerate  but  very  few  of  the  many  events  which 
occurred.  Among  the  ma'ny  men  thus  employed, 
was  a  negro  by  the  name  of  John  Scobell,  and  the 
manner  in  which  his  duties  were  performed,  was 
always  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  me  and  apparently 
of  gratification  to  himself.  From  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  I  had  found  the  negroes  of  invaluable 
assistance,  and  I  never  hesitated  to  employ  them 
when,  after  investigation,  I  found  them  to  be  intelli- 
gent and  trustworthy. 

As  I  have  previously  stated,  all  refugees,  deserters 
and  contrabands  coming  through  our  lines  were 
turned  over  to  me  for  a  thorough  examination  and 
for  such  future  disposition  as  I  should  recommend. 
John  Scobell  came  to  me  in  this  manner.  One 
morning  I  was  seated  in  my  quarters,  preparing  for 
the  business  of  the  day,  when  the  officer  of  the  guard 
announced  the  appearance  of  a  number  of  contra- 
bands. Ordering  them  to  be  brought  in,  the  pumping 
process  was  commenced,  and  before  noon  many  stray 
pieces  of  information  had  been  gathered,  which,  by 
accumulation  of  evidence,  were  highly  valuable. 
Among  the  number  I  had  especially  noticed  the 
young  man  who  had  given  his  name  as  John  Scobell. 
He  had  a  manly  and  intelligent  bearing,  and  his 
straightforward  answers  to  the  many  questions  pro- 
pounded to  him,  at  once  impressed  me  very  favorably. 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  345 

He  informed  me  that  he  had  formerly  been  a  slave  in 
the  State  of  Mississippi,  but  had  journeyed  to  Virginia 
with  his  master,  whose  name  he  bore.  His  master 
was  a  Scotchman,  and  but  a  few  weeks  before  had 
given  him  and  his  wife  their  freedom.  The  young 
woman  had  obtained  employment  in  Richmond,  while 
he  had  made  his  way  to  the  Union  lines,  where, 
encountering  the  Federal  pickets,  he  had  been 
brought  to  headquarters,  and  thence  to  me.  He  gave 
an  intelligent  account  of  his  travels  through  the 
country,  and  appeared  to  be  well  informed  as  to  the 
localities  through  which  he  passed,  and  of  the  roads 
and  streams  round  about. 

I  immediately  decided  to  attach  him  to  my  head- 
quarters, with  the  view  of  eventually  using  him  in  the 
capacity  of  a  scout,  should  he  prove  equal  to  the  task. 
For  two  weeks  I  employed  him  in  various  capacities 
of  minor  importance,  but  those  in  which  secrecy  and 
loyalty  were  essential  qualifications,  and  his  perform- 
ance of  these  duties  was  all  that  could  be  desired. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  I  resolved  to  send  him  into 
the  South,  and  test  his  ability  for  active  duty.  Calling 
him  into  my  quarters,  I  gave  him  the  necessary 
directions,  and  dispatched  him,  in  company  with 
Timothy  Webster,  on  a  trip  to  Virginia.  Their  line 
of  travel  was  laid  out  through  Centreville,  Manassas, 
Dumfries,  and  the  Upper  and  Lower  Accoquan. 

John  Scobell  I  found  was  a  remarkably  gifted  man 
for  one  of  his  race.  He  could  read  and  write,  and 


346  A     TRAITOR    DESERTS 

was  as  full  of  music  as  the  feathered  songsters  that 
warbled  in  the  tropical  groves  of  his  own  sunny  home. 
In  addition  to  what  seemed  an  almost  inexhaustible 
stock  of  negro  plantation  melodies  he  had  also  a 
charming  variety  of  Scotch  ballads,  which  he  sang  with 
a  voice  of  remarkable  power  and  sweetness.  During 
the  evenings  his  singing  was  the  chief  feature  of  the 
impromptu  entertainments  that  were  resorted  to  in 
order  to  while  away  the  tedious  hours  before  retiring, 
and  he  soon  became  a  universal  favorite.  Possessing 
the  talents  which  he  did,  I  felt  sure,  that  he  had  only 
to  assume  the  character  of  the  light-hearted,  happy 
darky  and  no  one  would  suspect  the  cool-headed, 
vigilant  detective,  in  the  rollicking  negro  whose  only 
aim  in  life  appeared  to  be  to  get  enough  to  eat,  and 
a  comfortable  place  to  toast  his  shins. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  two  men  should  travel  to- 
gether until  they  arrived  at  Leonardstown,  when  they 
were  to  separate,  Webster  proceeding  on  to  Rich- 
mond by  way  of  Fredericksburg,  while  Scobell  was 
to  make  his  way  to  the  rebel  camp  at  Dumfries,  and 
then  up  as  far  as  Centreville. 

Proceeding  by  stage  to  Leonardstown  they  parted 
company,  each  one  depending  upon  his  own  exertions 
to  get  across  the  river.  Although  they  had  traveled 
in  the  same  coach,  they  paid  no  attention  to  each 
other,  nor  gave  any  indication  of  a  previous  acquain- 
tance. At  Leonardstown  Webster  went  to  a  hotel, 
kept  by  a  Mr.  Miller,  who  was  a  bitter  secessionist, 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  347 

and  had  known  my  operative  for  some  time.  His 
greeting  was  cordial,  and  his  enthusiasm  over  his  es- 
cape from  the  officers  at  Baltimore,  an  account  of  which 
he  had  read  in  the  paper,  was  quite  overpowering. 

While  they  were  conversing  together  a  tall,  dark- 
whiskered  man  came  into  the  room,  and  after  a  quick, 
nervous  glance  at  Webster,  requested  to  see  the  land- 
lord in  another  room.  As  they  departed,  Webster 
bestowed  a  searching  look  upon  the  new-comer  and 
was  at  once  impressed  with  the  familiarity  of  his  fea- 
tures. He  recollected  that  while  he  was  coming 
down  on  the  stage,  this  man  came  riding  rapidly  be- 
hind them,  seated  in  a  buggy  and  driven  by  a  young 
negro.  They  made  several  ineffectual  attempts  to 
pass  the  stage,  and  finally  succeeded  in  doing  so,  and 
disappearing  from  view.  Webster  had  forgotten  all 
about  him,  until  his  sudden  appearance  at  the  hotel 
and  his  suspicious  actions  attracted  his  attention. 
After  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  the  two  men  again 
entered,  and  -the  stranger  immediately  took  his  de- 
parture. 

Filled  with  curiosity  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
man,  Webster  carelessly  observed  to  the  landlord  : 

"  That  fellow  seemed  a  little  nervous,  doesn't  he  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  the  landlord,  "and  he  has  cause  to 
be ;  he  is  a  deserter  from  the  Yanks." 

"Was  he  an  officer?" 

"  He  says  he  was  a  surgeon,  and  had  served  in 
the  regular  army  on  the  Pacific  coast  for  a  number 


348  A     TRAITOR    DESERTS 

of  years.  His  family  are  Southerners,  and  he  says 
he  concluded  to  throw  up  his  commission  and  join 
our  side." 

"  Which  way  is  he  going?" 

"He  wants  to  get  to  Richmond  as  soon  as  he 
can.  He  will  be  back  shortly  and  I'll  introduce  you 
to  him  ;  perhaps  you  can  give  him  a  helping  hand." 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  replied  Webster,  with  a  men- 
tal reservation.  "  What  is  his  name  ?" 

"He  gave  me  his  name  as  Doctor .  Gurley :  he 
brought  a  letter  from  a  friend  of  mine  in  Washing- 
ton, and  I  believe  he  is  carrying  some  messages  to 
Mr.  Benjamin,  the  Secretary  of  War,  which  he  is 
very  anxious  to  deliver  as  early  as  possible." 

"  Well,  we  may  be  fellow-travelers  if  he  turns  up 
in  time  to  go  over  with  me,"  said  Webster,  who  was 
already  attempting  to  devise  some  plan  for  intercept- 
ing the  delivery  of  the  dispatches  which  the  tided 
deserter  was  carrying. 

"  I  have  made  all  arrangements,"  replied  the  land- 
lord, "  and  will  send  you  both  down  to-morrow  in 
time  to  get  the  boat." 

"  All  right,"  said  Webster  ;  "  and  now,  as  I  have  a 
little  time  before  dinner,  I  will  take  a  short  walk  to 
give  me  an  appetite." 

Webster  was  intent  upon  finding  John  Scobell,  if 
possible.  He  had  formed  a  plan  for  getting  posses- 
sion of  the  dispatches,  and  he  required  the  services 
of  his  colored  companion  in  order  to  perfect  it 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  349 

Keeping  a  sharp  look-out  about  him,  he  strode  on  in 
the  direction  of  the  negro  quarters,  where  he  felt 
reasonably  sure  of  meeting  with  the  man  he  was  in 
search  of.  As  chance  would  have  it,  when  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  locality,  he  saw,  to  his  intense 
delight,  Scobell  approaching  him  from  the  opposite 
direction.  In  a  few  words,  he  developed  his  plan  to 
the  intelligent  darky,  and  from  the  broad  grin  which 
overspread  his  countenance,  it  was  evident  that  he 
not  only  fully  understood,  but  highly  relished,  the 
propositions  that  had  been  made.  It  was  arranged, 
that  Scobell  should  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
hotel  during  the  afternoon,  and  that  Webster  should 
endeavor  to  point  out  to  him  the  deserting  surgeon, 
after  which  Scobell  was  to  perform  the  duty  which 
Webster  had  delegated  to  him. 

That  afternoon,  the  Doctor,  who  was  stopping  with 
some  friends,  a  short  distance  out  of  town,  made  his 
appearance  at  the  hotel,  and  Mr.  Miller,  having  first 
assured  him  of  my  operative's  loyalty,  introduced  the 
two  men  to  each  other.  By  reason  of  Webster's 
familiarity  with  the  country,  and  his  evident  and 
hearty  desire  to  serve  his  new-found  friend,  he  soon 
won  the  kindly  regards  of  the  Doctor,  who  prolonged 
his  visit  until  nearly  dark.  At  length,  promising  to 
meet  Webster  on  the  morrow,  and  with  a  parting 
beverage,  the  Doctor  started  to  go.  Webster  accom- 
panied him  to  the  door,  and  with  apparent  good-feel- 
ing, bade  him  good-evening.  As  Webster  re-entered 


350  A     TRAITOR    DESERTS 

the  hotel,  he  noticed  with  satisfaction  that  Scobell 
was  on  hand,  and  had  posted  himself  in  a  secluded 
position,  where,  unobserved  himself,  he  could  watch 
the  hotel,  and  notice  what  transpired. 

"  There  is  going  to  be  a  shower,  and  the  Doctor 
will  have  to  walk  fast  to  escape  it,"  said  Webster,  as 
he  entered  the  bar-room. 

He  had  been  engaged  in  friendly  conversation 
with  Mr.  Miller  for  about  an  hour,  when  they  heard 
the  hurried  stamping  of  feet  outside  ;  in  a  few  mo- 
ments, the  door  was  thrown  suddenly  open,  and  the 
deserting  Doctor  stood  before  them.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  Doctor  was  most  rueful.  He  was  without 
his  hat ;  his  clothing  was  disarranged,  and  torn  and 
soiled  ;  his  face  was  of  a  death-like  paleness,  while  his 
lips  trembled  as  if  with  fear. 

Webster  and  the  landlord  sprang  to  their  feet, 
and  rushed  toward  the  man,  who  was  very  near  fall- 
ing from  exhaustion. 

"  What  has  happened !"  inquired  Webster,  in  a 
tone  of  solicitude. 

"  I've  been  attacked  and  robbed !"  ejaculated  the 
Doctor,  weakly. 

The  landlord  poured  out  a  glass  of  spirits,  which 
he  gave  to  the  demoralized  Doctor,  and  after  swal- 
lowing it,  he  seemed  to  regain  his  strength.  After 
he  had  been  sufficiently  restored,  he  related  his  story. 
After  leaving  the  hotel,  he  had  started  to  walk  to- 
ward the  house  where  he  was  stopping.  It  becom- 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  351 

ing  quite  cloudy,  and  fearing  a  storm,  he  had  hastened 
his  pace  in  order  to  avoid  the  rain.  Suddenly,  as  he 
was  passing  through  a  small  patch  of  woods,  he  was 
stealthily  approached  from  behind,  by  some  one,  who 
struck  him  a  fearful  blow  on  the  back  of  the  head. 
He  was  completely  stunned  and  fell  to  the  ground. 
When  he  recovered  consciousness,  he  found  that  he 
had  been  thoroughly  searched,  and  that  his  dispatches 
to  the  Secretary  of  War  had  been  taken.  Nothing 
else  about  his  person  was  disturbed,  and  the  attack 
had  evidently  been  made  by  somebody  who  was 
aware  of  the  fact  that  he  had  them  in  his  possession. 
The  Doctor's  anxiety  about  his  loss  was  pitiable  in 
the  extreme,  but  Webster  could  scarcely  repress 
a  smile  of  satisfaction,  at  the  success  which  Scobell 
had  achieved  in  capturing  the  precious  documents. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Webster,  soothingly.  "  The 
loss  of  the  papers  won't  amount  to  much ;  when  we 
arrive  in  Richmond  you  can  communicate  verbally  the 
nature  of  the  papers  you  have  lost." 

"  That's  the  devil  of  it,"  blurted  out  the  Doctor. 
"  I  don't  know  their  contents  ;  they  were  intrusted  to 
me  by  men  who  are  working  in  the  interest  of  the 
South,  and  as  they  were  sealed,  I  have  no  more  idea 
than  you  have  what  they  contained." 

This  piece  of  information  was  an  additional  source 
of  satisfaction  to  Webster,  who  had  thus  effectually 
prevented  their  transmission  to  the  Rebel  government. 
He  sympathized  with  the  Doctor,  however,  most 


352  A     TRAITOR    DESERTS 

sincerely,  and  although  that  individual  was  decidedly 
crestfallen  at  the  turn  of  affairs,  under  Webster's 
ministrations  he  recovered  some  of  his  spirits,  and 
finding  that  he  was  not  seriously  injured,  he  again 
started  for  his  lodgings.  He  took  the  precaution,  this 
time,  to  carry  his  revolver  in  his  hand,  and  to  keep  a 
sharp  look-out  as  he  journeyed  along. 

Miller,  the  landlord,  was  somewhat  alarmed  at 
this  adventure,  but  Webster  endeavored  to  reassure 
him  as  best  he  could.  He  suggested  that  the  attack 
was  probably  made  by  some  one  who  was  in  the 
interest  of  the  South,  but  who  was  fearful  that,  as 
the  Doctor  had  deserted  from  the  Northern  army,  he 
might  not  be  as  true  to  the  good  cause  as  he  should 
be.  However  this  may  be,  Miller's  fears  soon  disap- 
peared, and  by  nine  o'clock  he  had  recovered  his 
usual  good-humor,  and  set  about  making  his  arrange- 
ments for  the  morrow.  Feeling  anxious  to  learn  from 
Scobell,  Webster  lighted  a  cigar  and  strolled  out  into 
the  street.  He  walked  slowly  along,  and  after  he 
had  gone  some  distance  from  the  hotel  he  turned 
around,  and  saw  following  him,  at  some  distance 
behind,  a  figure  which  he  instantly  recognized  as 
Scobell's.  He  therefore  went  on  until  he  came  to 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  then  awaited  the  ar- 
rival of  his  companion. 

Scobell  came  up  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  coun- 
tenance, and  extending  his  hand,  said  : 

"Here  dey  is,  Mister  Webster.     Dey  is  all  right, 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  353 

an'  I  reckon  de  Doctor  don't  know  what  hurt  him  by 
dis  time." 

Webster  took  the  packet  from  the  outstretched 
hand  of  the  black  man,  and  complimented  him  warmly 
upon  his  success.  Scobell  seemed  quite  elated  over  his 
exploit,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  Webster 
could  restrain  him  from  breaking  out  into  loud  laugh- 
ter. 

Scobell  informed  Webster  that  he  had  already 
made  arrangements  for  forwarding  the  documents  to 
me,  provided  they  met  with  the  approval  of  the  scout. 
He  suggested  that  they  be  intrusted  to  an  intelli- 
gent and  loyal  colored  man,  who  was  to  start  for 
Washington  on  the  following  morning,  and  whose 
honor  and  truthfulness  could  be  implicitly  relied 
upon. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  this  man  first,"  said  Web- 
ster, when  Scobell  had  concluded. 

"  Werry  well ;  cum  along  of  me,"  answered  Sco- 
bell. "  I'll  show  you  sumfin  you  neber  seed  afore, 
I  reckon. 

"  Go  ahead,  then,"  directed  the  scout. 

Proceeding  together  a  short  distance,  when  the 
black  stopped  before  a  dilapidated  building  that  had 
evidently  not  been  used  for  some  time.  It  was  a  low, 
two-story  structure,  the  windows  of  which  were 
boarded  up,  and  no  sign  of  life  was  visible  from 
without. 

"  Come  this  way,"  said   Scobell,  in  a  low  voice, 
23 


354  A     TRAITOK    DESERTS 

taking  Webster  by  the  hand  and  through  a  low  door, 
on  which  he  rapped  three  times. 

Webster  had  scarcely  time  to  give  vent  to  his 
astonishment  by  a  low  whistle,  when  the  door  was 
noiselessly  opened.  They  entered  without  challenge 
and  found  themselves  in  utter  darkness,  while  Web- 
ster could  hear  the  bolts  and  bars  being  replaced  upon 
the  door.  Listening  intently,  he  thought  he  could  hear 
voices  overhead,  and  a  noise  as  of  the  shuffling  of 
feet.  Presently  he  heard  a  shrill  whistle  from  his 
conductor,  which  was  replied  to  from  above  with  the 
query : 

"  Who  comes  ?" 

"  Friends  of  Uncle  Abe  !"  was  the  reply. 

"  What  do  you  desire  ?" 

"  Light  and  Liberty !"  came  the  response. 

Immediately  a  trap-door  overhead  was  opened, 
revealing  a  dimly-lighted  room,  and  a  rope-ladder  was 
let  down  before  them. 

"  Mister  Webster,  you  go  up  first,"  said  Scobell, 
"  and  I  will  follow  you." 

Webster  took  hold  of  the  ropes  and,  ascending 
easily,  found  himself  in  a  dimly  lighted  room  and 
surrounded  by  a  body  of  negroes,  numbering  about 
forty.  Some  of  them  were  young  men  who  had 
barely  attained  their  majority,  while  others  were 
middle-aged,  with  a  goodly  number  whose  heads 
were  as  white  as  snow.  The  room  in  which  they 
were  assembled  was  quite  large  and  entirely  destitute 


FROM     THE    ARMY.  355 

of  furniture.  An  upturned  barrel,  with  an  American 
flag  draped  over  it,  served  as  the  desk  of  the  Presi- 
dent, and  his  seat  was  made  of  a  box,  which  had 
once  been  used  in  packing  merchandise  for  ship- 
ment. 

It  was  not  long  before  Webster  realized  that  he 
was  in  a  lodge  of  "  the  Loyal  League/'composed  almost 
exclusively  of  colored  men,  and  whose  branches 
extended  over  the  entire  South.  The  trap-door  be- 
ing closed  behind  them,  Webster  was  introduced 
to  the  assembly  by  John  Scobell,  who  had  already 
identified  himself  with  the  institution.  His  welcome 
was  most  cordial  and  hearty.  Shortly  after  they  had 
become  quiet,  the  President,  a  tall,  well-formed 
negro,  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  took  his  posi- 
tion, and  in  a  deep,  full  voice,  addressed  the  meeting. 
He  detailed  the  operations  of  the  various  lodges 
which  he  had  visited,  and  gave  an  encouraging 
account  of  the  good  work  that  was  being  done  by  the 
colored  men  throughout  the  country.  He  was 
listened  to  intently,  and  when  he  had  finished  he  was 
greeted  with  numerous  remarks  of  approval  and 
indorsement. 

Scobell  had  meanwhile  disclosed  the  nature  and 
objects  of  the  "  Loyal  League."  Although  as  yet 
prevented  from  taking  up  arms  in  defense  of  their 
rights,  these  colored  men  had  banded  themselves 
together  to  further  the  cause  of  freedom,  to  succor 
the  escaping  slave,  and  to  furnish  information  to 


356  A     TRAITOR    DESKRTS 

loyal  commanders  of  the  movements  of  the  rebels,  as 
far  as  they  could  be  ascertained. 

The  President  of  the  League,  Scobell  said,  was 
about  undertaking  a  trip  to  Washington,  and  he  was 
the  person  who  had  been  selected  to  carry  the  packet 
to  me.  Webster  conversed  with  him  for  some  time 
after  he  had  spoken,  and  finding  him  reliable  and 
willing  to  undertake  the  task  about  to  be  imposed 
upon  him,  he  signified  his  willingness  to  trust  him 
with  the  delivery  of  the  dispatches.  Writing  a  hasty 
description  of  the  manner  in  which  they  had  been 
obtained,  he  safely  sewed  the  package  and  his  letter 
in  the  lining  of  the  messenger's  coat,  and  fully 
instructed  him  as  to  how  the  papers  should  be 
delivered. 

Webster  was  called  upon  before  the  meeting 
adjourned,  and  he  replied  in  a  few  words  of  encourage- 
ment and  compliment,  which  elicited  the  most  sincere 
tokens  of  appreciation  from  his  sable  auditors. 

After  thanking  the  colored  men  for  their  kindness 
to  him,  Webster  and  Scobell  descended  from  the 
improvised  lodge-room,  and  Webster  made  his  way 
back  to  the  hotel,  feeling  quite  relieved  as  to  the 
safety  of  the  dispatches,  and  fully  confident  that  they 
would  reach  their  destination  in  safety.  He  shortly 
afterwards  retired  to  rest,  fully  satisfied  with  the  day's 
work,  and  slept  soundly  until  morning. 

The  trusty  messenger  arrived  in  Washington  in 
due  time,  and  I  received  from  his  hands  the  papers 


FROM     THE    ARMY. 


357 


intrusted  to  him.  They  were  of  a  highly  important 
nature,  and  conveyed  information  to  the  rebel 
authorities  which  would  have  been  very  dangerous 
had  they  reached  their  legitimate  destination.  As  it 
was,  through  Webster's  sagacity,  Scobell's  physical 
power,  and  the  exertions  of  the  President  of  the 
"  Loyal  League,"  the  traitor  surgeon  was  prevented 
from  assisting  the  cause  of  treason  and  rebellion,  and 
as  a  bearer  of  dispatches,  his  first  venture  was  far 
from  being  successful. 


A    HOT    CHASE. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A  Negro  Spy.  —  Passage  on  a  Steam  Packet.  —  Lyrical  Melo- 
dies. —  Scobell  Deserts  the  Ship.  —  His  Tramps  Through 
Rebeldom. 


~"*HE  next  afternoon,  Webster  and  Doctor  Gur- 
JL  ley  started  for  their  point  of  debarkation. 
The  medical  deserter  was  exceedingly  downcast 
about  the  loss  of  valuable  papers,  although  he  had 
entirely  recovered  from  the  physical  effects  of  his  at- 
tack. He  indulged  in  curses,  loud  and  deep,  upon 
the  perpetrator  of  the  theft,  and  speculated  with  grave 
seriousness  as  to  the  effect  of  their  loss.  Webster, 
who  felt  that  he  could  be  liberal  in  dealing  out  his 
sympathy,  was  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  regret 
and  condolence,  though  I  am  afraid,  that  an  observer 
who  was  acquainted  with  the  facts  of  the  case,  would 
have  detected  a  sly  twinkle  of  merriment  in  his  eyes, 
that  belied  his  words.  They  were  driven  to  a  farm- 
house, situated  on  a  little  creek  that  ran  in  from  the 
bay,  where  they  were  met  by  a  man  named  James 
Gough,  to  whom  Webster  had  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  Mr.  Miller  at  the  hotel.  After  reading  the  let- 
ter, Mr.  Gough  invited  the  travelers  to  enter,  and  in- 
formed them  that  the  boat  would  attempt  to  cross  the 
[358] 


SCO  BELL'S     TRAMPS.  359 

bay  that  night,  if  the  weather  would  permit.  After 
partaking  of  a  bountiful  supper,  the  party  repaired  to 
the  landing,  and  although  there  were  indications  of  a 
storm,  the  captain,  who  was  in  waiting,  determined  to 
make  an  effort  to  get  across.  A  large  amount  of 
merchandise  had  already  been  placed  on  board,  and 
soon  after  the  arrival  of  Webster  and  the  Doctor, 
who  were  to  be  the  only  passengers,  they  put  off. 
Their  trip  was  made  in  safety,  and  by  midnight  they 
reached  the  Virginia  side.  Here  they  went  to  the 
house  of  a  Mr.  Woodward,  who  was  a  partner  with 
Mr.  Gough,  in  shipping  goods  into  the  rebel  country, 
and  who  took  charge  of  the  cargo  that  came  over  with 
our  travelers  in  the  boat. 

Remaining  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Woodward  during 
the  night,  on  the  following  morning  they  went  to 
Tappahannock,  where  they  boarded  a  packet  for 
Fredericksburg.  Here  they  met  a  Colonel  Prickett, 
who  was  an  old  acquaintance  of  Doctor  Gurley,  and 
from  the  general  conversation  that  ensued,  Webster 
obtained  material  information  of  the  location  of  the 
rebel  forces.  That  evening  they  proceeded  to  Rich- 
mond, and  Webster,  parting  with  his  traveling  com- 
panion, set  about  delivering  some  letters  which  he 
had  brought  with  him.  Finding  that  several  of  his 
friends,  from  whom  he  had  hoped  to  receive  informa- 
tion, were  absent  from  the  city,  and  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  do  much  good  service,  he  resolved  to 
return  to  Washington.  He  went  to  the  office  of  the 


360  SCOBELLTS     TRAMPS 

Secretary  of  War,  and,  obtaining  a  pass  to  Norfolk, 
he  returned  by  that  route,  taking  notes  by  the  way- 
side, and  arrived  in  Washington  in  due  time. 

John  Scobell  remained  in  Leonardstown  a  few 
days  after  Webster's  departure,  mingling  with  the 
colored  people  of  that  locality,  and  posting  himself 
upon  several  points  that  would  be  of  benefit  to  him 
further  on.  The  desire  for  freedom,  and  the  expecta- 
tion that  the  result  of  the  war  would  determine  that 
question,  had  now  become  universal  among  the  col- 
ored men  of  the  South.  Although  as  yet  debarred 
from  taking  up  arms  in  defense  of  their  rights,  their 
efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Northern  troops  were  freely 
given  when  opportunity  offered,  and  consequently, 
Scobell  made  hosts  of  friends  among  the  black-skin- 
ned people,  who  advised  him  cheerfully  and  were  pro- 
fuse in  their  offers  of  assistance. 

During  the  time  that  he  remained  in  Leonards- 
town  Scobell  made  his  home  with  an  old  negro  who 
was  an  active  member  of  the  League,  and  who  had 
conceived  a  wonderful  friendship  for  my  bright  and 
intelligent  colored  operative.  Uncle  Turner,  as  he 
was  called,  was  a  genuine  Virginia  darky,  who,  having 
been  reared  as  a  house  servant,  had  been  enabled  to 
acquire  more  than  the  average  amount  of  intelligence, 
and  obtaining  his  freedom,  had  settled  himself  in 
Leonardstown,  where  he  obtained  a  livelihood  by  per- 
forming a  variety  of  duties  for  the  people  in  the 
town.  Here,  with  his  aged  wife,  a  fat,  good-natured 


THROUGH    REBELDOM.  361 

negress,  he  lived  in  comparative  comfort,  and  a  more 
thorough  abolitionist  never  existed  than  was  Uncle 
Turner. 

Through  this  old  negro,  Scobell  had  made  arrange- 
ments with  a  young  colored  man  to  set  him  across 
the  river  in  a  skiff,  and  after  spending  the  day  among 
his  new-found  friends,  and  amply  provided  with  a 
substantial  lunch  from  Aunt  Judy,  Scobell  made  his 
way  to  the  river  bank,  where  he  found  his  man  wait- 
ing for  him,  carefully  concealed  among  some  bushes 
that  grew  along  the  shore. 

After  remunerating  the  boatman,  and  bidding  him 
a  hearty  farewell,  Scobell  started  up  the  river.  His 
first  plan  was  to  walk  as  far  as  Dumfries,  and  from 
that  point  commence  his  operations  among  the  rebel 
camps,  but  after  reflection,  he  concluded  to  make  his 
way  to  the  Rappahannock,  and  endeavor  to  work  his 
way  on  one  of  the  river  boats  as  far  as  Fredericks- 
burg,  which  would  save  him  a  walk  of  some  fifty  miles 
and  materially  expedite  his  journey.  He  accordingly 
set  out  for  the  river  and,  walking  briskly,  he  found 
himself  about  noon  at  Leestown,  a  small  landing- 
place  on  the  Rappahannock.  Feeling  somewhat  fa- 
tigued by  his  long  tramp,  he  remained  over  night,  and 
early  on  the  following  morning  repaired  to  the  wharf, 
where  he  was  in  hopes  of  finding  a  boat  on  which  he 
could  secure  his  passage.  He  had  not  long  to  wait, 
for  shortly  after  his  arrival  the  packet  boat  "Virginia" 
steamed  up  to  the  landing,  and  soon  the  men  were  en- 


362  SCOBELLS     TRAMPS 

gaged  in  putting  on  board  a  quantity  of  miscellaneous 
freight,  that  was  destined  for  Fredericksburg.  Find- 
ing that  there  was  plenty  of  work  to  do,  Scobell  step- 
ped quickly  on  board  and  seeking  the  captain  politely 
asked  permission  to  work  his  passage.  The  Captain, 
who  was  a  kind  and  genial  man  at  heart,  although  he 
carefully  veiled  these  characteristics  under  a  rough 
exterior,  and  a  bluff  and  impetuous  demeanor,  list- 
ened to  the  request,  and  being  in  want  of  some  extra 
help,  turned  to  Scobell  and  said  : 

"You  black  rascal,  what  do  you  want  at  Fred- 
ericksburg? Come  now,  no  lies,  or  I'll  throw  you 
into  the  river !" 

"  I  done  tell  no  lies,  Massa  Cap'n,"  replied  Scobell, 
with  a  broad  grin  overspreading  his  face,  "but  I've 
bin  back  in  de  kentry  to  see  some  ob  my  folks  dar, 
and  I  dun  got  no  money  fur  ter  git  back." 

"  So  you  want  me  to  take  you  to  Fredericksburg, 
do  you  ?"  ejaculated  the  Captain,  good-naturedly. 
"  Well,  go  below  and  tell  the  cook  to  put  you  to  work  !" 

Scobell  was  about  to  express  his  thanks,  when  the 
Captain  blurted  out  : 

"  Clear  out,  d — n  you  !  I've  no  time  for  talk 
now." 

Scobell  hurried  below,  and  seeking  out  the  cook 
was  soon  busily  engaged  at  work ;  before  he  had 
been  very  long  employed  he  made  a  friend  of  his 
sable  instructor,  and  was  as  merry  as  a  cricket.  The 
run  to  Fredericksburg  was  about  twelve  hours,  but  ow- 


THROUGH    REBELDOM.  363 

ing  to  shoal  water  they  were  obliged  to  stop  at 
Coulter's  Wharf  to  wait  for  the  rising  of  the  tide.  In 
the  evening  the  negro  hands  gathered  on  the  deck 
around  the  smoke-stack,  and  with  the  stars  twinkling 
overhead,  they  made  the  shores  ring  with  their  mirth- 
ful melodies.  Among  the  party  was  an  old  negro, 
who  had  spent  almost  his  entire  life  upon  the  river, 
and  who  was  an  excellent  performer  on  the  banjo, 
and  he  accompanied  the  singers  with  his  instrument. 
"  Nelly  Gray,"  "  Bob  Ridley,"  "  Way  down  upon  de 
Swanee  River,"  and  a  host  of  the  most  popular  songs 
of  the  day  were  rendered  in  a  style  that  elicited  the 
heartiest  applause  from  the  delighted  passengers. 
The  climax  of  enjoyment  was  reached,  however, 
when  my  Scobell,  in  his  splendid  baritone,  and  accom- 
panied by  the  old  negro  and  his  banjo,  sang  that 
sweet  old  Scottish  ballad  : 

"  Maxwelton's  braes  are  bonny, 
Where  early  fa's  the  dew." 

The  applause  which  greeted  him  upon  its  conclu- 
sion was  most  hearty  and  enthusiastic,  and  when  he 
gave  them 

"  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that," 

the  passengers  crowded  around  him  and  began  to 
ply  him  with  eager  questions  as  to  his  knowledge  of 
the  music  of  the  beloved  bard  of  Scotia.  The  idea  of 
a  darky  singing  Scotch  ballads,  and  with  such  true 


364  SCOBELLS     TRAMPS 

emotional  pathos  and  sweetness,  was  such  a  novelty 
to  them  that  all  were  anxious  to  learn  where  he  had 
heard  them.  Scobell  briefly  and  modestly  informed 
them  that  he  had  been  raised  by  a  gentleman  who 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  was  himself  a  good 
singer,  and  that  his  master  had  taught  him  the  music 
he  loved  so  well.  The  Captain,  who  was  also  a 
Scotchman,  and  who  had  listened  to  the  melodies 
with  the  tears  trickling  over  his  rubicund  nose,  now 
stepped  forward  and  said  heartily  : 

"  Look  here,  young  fellow,  I  need  an  extra  man 
on  this  boat,  and  I'll  give  you  forty  dollars  a  month 
to  work  for  me.  The  work  is  light — now  what  do 
you  say  ?" 

Here  was  a  dilemma  entirely  unexpected.  Scobell 
had  not  only  sung  himself  into  the  good  graces  of  the 
passengers,  but  of  the  rough  old  Captain  also.  It 
was  plain  that  this  offer  came  from  the  very  heart  of 
the  old  salt,  who  was  as  deeply  touched  by  the  mel- 
odies as  was  any  one  else,  and  he  wanted  to  secure 
Scobell's  services  as  much  for  the  songs  he  could  sing 
as  for  the  work  he  could  do. 

Scobell  bowed  his  thanks  to  the  Captain,  and  said  : 

"  I'm  werry  much  obliged  to  yer  Cap'n  ;  I'se  bin 
lookin'  fur  a  job  ebber  since  I  left  ole  Mississippi,  an' 
I'll  do  my  best  to  please  you,  sure." 

"All  right,"  replied  the  Captain.  "It's  time  to 
turn  in  now,  so  go  below  and  tell  the  mate  to  take 
your  time ;  your  pay  will  commence  from  to-day." 


THROUGH    REBELDOM.  365 

All  hands  went  below,  where  Scobell  duly  reported 
to  the  mate,  a  bunk  was  assigned  to  him  and  he  was 
made  one  of  the  crew  of  the  steanvpacket  "Virginia." 
This  was  a  rather  different  turn  of  affairs  than  he 
had  expected,  but  he  had  done  the  best  he  could 
under  the  circumstances,  and  regretting  that  he  was 
compelled  to  deceive  the  honest  old  Captain,  he 
turned  in  for  the  night  and  slept  soundly. 

When  he  awoke  the  next  morning,  the  boat  was 
in  motion,  and  he  knew  that  he  was  on  his  way  to 
Fredericksburg.  How  to  get  away  was  the  next 
question  to  be  decided,  but  he  resolved  to  await  the 
operation  of  events  and  adopt  any  chance  that 
afforded  for  getting  away.  In  due  time  the  boat 
landed  at  her  destination  and  soon  all  was  bustle  and 
confusion  in  discharging  the  freight.  Scobell  assisted 
manfully  in  landing  the  cargo,  and  earned  the  enco- 
miums of  the  Captain  for  his  diligent  labor.  Learning 
that  the  boat  would  not  start  on  her  return  trip  until 
the  next  morning,  he  requested  permission  to  go  on 
shore  until  they  were  prepared  to  start.  This  was 
readily  granted  by  the  unsuspecting  and  really  good- 
natured  Captain,  who  also  gave  him  a  small  sum  of 
money  to  defray  his  expenses,  and  cautioned  him  to 
report,  on  time  or  the  boat  would  start  without  him. 
Scobell  promised  to  be  punctual,  and  then  took  his 
leave. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  state  that  the  "  Virginia"  on 
her  down  trip  went  without  the  ballad-singing  negro, 


366  SCOBELL'S     TRAMPS. 

for  by  the  time  she  was  ready  to  put  off,  he  was  on 
his  way  to  Dumfries  and  the  Accoquan. 

Carefully  noting  everything  that  came  in  his  way 
he  traveled  through  'Dumfries,  Accoquan,  Manassas 
and  Centreville,  and  after  spending  nearly  ten  days 
in  these  localities  he  finally  made  his  way  to  Lees- 
burg,  and  thence  down  the  Potomac  to  Washing- 
ton. His  experiences  on  this  trip  were  quite  nu- 
merous and  varied,  and  only  a  lack  of  space  prevents 
their  narration.  Sometimes,  as  a  vender  of  delica- 
cies through  the  camps,  a  laborer  on  the  earthworks 
at  Manassas,  or  a  cook  at  Centreville,  he  made  his 
way  uninterruptedly  until  he  obtained  the  desired  in- 
formation and  successfully  accomplished  the  object  of 
his  mission. 

His  return  to  Washington  was  accomplished  in 
safety  and  his  full  and  concise  report  fully  justified 
me  in  the  selection  I  had  made  of  a  good,  reliable 
and  intelligent  operative. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A    Perilous    Ride. — A    Suspicions    Peddler. —  Uncle   Gallus 
Again. — Scobell  Investigating.- -Doubts  and  Suspicions. 

IT  was  on  a  beautiful  morning  in  the  early  part  of 
the  month  of  April,  1862,  when  a  lady,  mounted 
upon  a  handsome  and  spirited  black  horse,  and 
accompanied  by  a  young  and  intelligent-looking  negro, 
also  excellently  mounted,  rode  out  of  the  city  of  Rich- 
mond, apparently  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  a 
morning  ride.  Provided  with  the  necessary  passports, 
they  experienced  no  difficulty  in  passing  the  guards, 
and  after  a  short  ride  found  themselves  in  the  open 
country  beyond  the  city. 

The  lady  was  young,  handsome  and  apparently 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  Her  complexion  was 
fresh  and  rosy  as  the  morning,  her  hair  fell  in  flowing 
tresses  of  gold,  while  her  eyes,  which  were  of  a  clear  and 
deep  blue,  were  quick  and  searching  in  their  glances. 
She  appeared  careless  and  entirely  at  ease,  but  a 
close  observer  would  have  noticed  a  compression  of 
the  small  lips,  and  a  fixedness  in  the  sparkling  eyes 
that  told  of  a  purpose  to  be  accomplished,  and  that 
her  present  journey  was  not  wholly  one  of  pleasure. 

[367] 


3 68  A     PERILOUS    RIDE. 

After  leaving  the  city  the  colored  attendant 
spurred  to  her  side,  and  then,  putting  spurs  to  their 
horses,  they  broke  into  a  swift  canter.  Their  road 
lay  along  the  river  bank,  which  here  led  in  a  south- 
easterly direction.  Turning  to  the  negro  at  her  side, 
the  lady  remarked : 

"  Now,  John,  we  have  a  ride  of  ten  miles  before 
us,  and  we  must  be  at  Glendale  as  early  as  possible." 

"All  right,  missus,"  rejoined  her  sable  companion, 
"  dese  hosses  will  take  us  through  in  good  shape,  I 
know." 

They  followed  the  course  of  the  stream,  whose 
waters  glistened  in  the  rays  of  the  morning's  sun  like 
polished  silver.  On  either  side  the  road  was  fringed 
with  a  growth  of  cottonwood  trees,  that  cast  a  grate- 
ful shade  along  their  path,  while  the  cool  breezes  of 
the  rippling  river  rendered  their  ride  a  most  delight- 
ful one  indeed.  But  as  they  sped  along  the  most 
casual  observer  would  have  noticed  from  the  expres- 
sion of  their  faces  that  their  ride  was  being  under- 
taken for  other  purposes  than  pleasure. 

The  riders  pressed  on,  scarcely  slackening  their 
speed  until  in  the  near  distance  could  be  seen  the  tall 
spire  of  the  single  church  in  the  pleasant  little  village 
of  Glendale.  They  now  drew  rein  and  brought  their 
smoking  steeds  to  a  slow  walk,  and  riding  leisurely 
onward,  they  stopped  before  a  neat  little  inn  located 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  town. 

An  old,  white-headed  negro  took  their  horses  and 


A     PERILOUS    RIDE.  369 

led  them  away,  while  the  landlady,  a  neat  and  tidy- 
looking  matron,  wearing  widow's  weeds,  met  the  lady 
at  the  door,  and  cordially  welcomed  her  into  the  house. 

"Here,  Jennie,"  she  called  to  her  daughter,  a 
trim  little  girl  of  twelve  years,  "  show  this  lady  to  her 
room." 

Following  the  little  girl,  the  lady  was  conducted 
into  a  cool  and  pleasant  little  parlor,  with  windows 
opening  upon  the  garden,  and  through  which  came 
the  fragrant  breath  of  roses  in  full  bloom. 

Scobell  accompanied  the  old  man  with  the  horses 
into  the  stable-yard,  where  he  assisted  in  caring  for 
the  heated  animals. 

"  I  dun  spose  you's  on  de  way  to  Yu'ktown  ?" 
queried  the  old  darky,  who  was  rubbing  vigorously 
away  upon  the  limbs  of  the  glossy  black  horse. 
After  waiting  a  short  time,  and  hearing  no  response, 
he  added : 

"  What'd  you  say?  dis  yer  hoss  is  fidgettin'  aroun' 
so  I  didn't  har  you." 

"  I  didn't  say  anything,"  responded  his  companion 
good-naturedly,  but  in  a  tone  that  plainly  indicated 
his  intention  not  to  submit  himself  to  the  pumping 
process  at  the  hands  of  his  garrulous  friend. 

"  I  tought  you  hearn  what  I  dun  axed  you,"  re- 
plied the  old  man,  a  little  taken  aback  by  the  cool  de- 
meanor of  his  new  acquaintance. 

Scobell,  however,  industriously  worked  away  at  his 

own  horse  and  said  nothing. 
24 


370  A    PERILOUS    RIDE. 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  darky  after  another  pause, 
and  apparently  communing  with  himself — "  it  am  a 
fac'  dat  now  an  den  you  meets  people  dat  ain't  got  de 
cibbleness  to  answer  a  question — nor  de  grit  to  tell  a 
feller  'tain't  nun  o'  his  business  ;  but  dey  jes  let  on 
like  dey  didn't  har  wat  you  sed — wen  all  de  time  dey 
kin  har  jes  as  well  as  I  kin." 

Still  there  was  no  satisfactory  response,  and  at 
last  the  old  man  blurted  out  again  : 

"  Now  I  dun  spec' it  am  nun  ob  Uncle  Callus's 
bizness  were  dese  folks  am  a  goin',  but  Jemima  !  I 
didn't  tink  it  any  harm  to  ax.  Folks  dat  knows 
Uncle  Gallus  aint  afeared  tu  tell  him  nuffin,  coz  dey 
knows  he  dun  got  a  mitey  close  head  when  it  am 
needcessary." 

The  old  man  was  none  other  than  the  veritable 
old  Uncle  Gallus,  whose  experience  in  the  South 
seemed  to  be  very  different  from  the  easy  life  he  had 
led  as  the  house  servant  of  Mrs.  Morton.  How  he 
came  into  this  position  I  am  unable  to  say,  but  here 
he  was,  and  the  same  smile  of  good-nature  irradiated 
his  face,  as  when  his  way  of  life  was  pleasant,  and  his 
duties  lighter.  Perhaps,  it  would  be  as  well  to  state 
here,  that  the  two  persons  already  mentioned  were 
Mrs.  Carrie  Lawton,  a  female  operative  on  my  force, 
and  John  Scobell,  who  has  figured  before  in"  these 
pages.  These  two  persons  had  been  for  a  time  em- 
ployed in  Richmond,  and  were  now  endeavoring  to 
effect  their  journey  North. 


A    PERILOUS    RIDE.  371 

After  finishing  the  last  remark,  Uncle  Gallus 
straightened  himself  up  and  stood  erect,  with  the 
air  of  a  man  who  had  been  unjustly  injured,  and 
who  was  disposed  to  vindicate  himself  now  and 
there. 

"  I  tell  you,  uncle,"  finally  replied  Scobell,  "there 
are  times  when  one  must  be  careful  what  you  say, 
and  who  you  say  it  to." 

"  Dat  am  a  fac'  !"  ejaculated  the  old  man. 

"  Now,  if  I  knowed  you  was  all  right,"  Scobell  con- 
tinued, "  I  might  talk,  but  'tain't  smart  to  tell  your 
business  to  strangers." 

"  Dat  am  a  fac',  young  man,"  observed  Uncle 
Gallus,  shaking  his  head  with  a  knowing  look  ;  "  but 
den  I  spose  you's  a  friend  to  Uncle  Abe,  ain't  you 
now  ?"  he  queried. 

"And  if  I  am,"  said  Scobell,  "what  do  you 
want  ?" 

"  Light  and  Liberty,"  replied  the  old  man  impres- 
sively, "and  fo'  de  L'ud  I  b'lieve  deday  am  nigh  when 
it  am  a  comin'." 

At  these  words,  Scobell  stepped  forward  and  said 
in  a  low  voice : 

"  Do  you  belong  to  -the  League  ?" 

"  I  does,"  answered  Uncle  Gallus;  "  I  dun  jined 
it  in  dis  berry  place." 

"  How  often  do  you  meet  ?"  inquired  Scobell. 

"We  meets  ebery  two  weeks,  down  at  Uncle 
Dicky  Bassett's — he  libs  on  de  bluff  ob  de  ribbert 


372  A     PERILOUS    RIDE. 

'bout  a  mile   furder  down    de  road  to'rds  Wilson's 
Landin'." 

"  How  far  is  it  to  Wilson's  landing  ?"  asked  Sco- 
bell, who,  finding  that  Uncle  Gallus  was  a  member  of 
the  League,  was  now  no  longer  loth  to  talk  with  him. 

"  A  little  grain  de  rise  ob  twenty  mile,"  replied 
the  old  man. 

"  About  sundown,  then,"  said  Scobell,  "  these 
horses  must  be  saddled  and  ready  for  the  missus  and 
me,  for  we  must  be  at  the  landing  before  midnight." 

"All  right,"  rejoined  Uncle  Gallus,  "dey'll  be 
ready  when  yu  want  'em." 

"  See  heah  now,  is  yure  name  John  ?"  suddenly 
asked  the  old  man,  as  if  an  idea  had  just  occurred  to 
him. 

"  Yes,  that's  what  they  call  me." 

"  An'  you  cum  frum  Richmun'  dis  mo'nin  ?" 

Scobell  nodded. 

"  An'  dat  young  leddy  am  gwine  to  meet  some- 
body, mebbe  her  husband,  at  de  landin'  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Scobell ;  "  but  how  do  you  know 
these  things?  Has  anybody  been  here  to  see  you?" 

"Yah!  Yah!"  chuckled  the  old  man.  "I  dun 
tole  you  dat  folks  as  knowed  Uncle  Gallus  dun  often 
come  ter  see  him.  I  dun  knowed  you  all  de  time, 
when  you  fust  come — in  fac',  I  was  'spectin'  you 
and  de  missus  all  de  mawnin'." 

"Was  the  landlady  looking  for  us  too?"  inquired 
Scobell. 


A    PERILOUS    RIDE.  373 

"  She  knowed  you  was  a  comin',"  replied  Uncle 
Gallus  ;  "dah  was  agem'man  heah  las'  night,  as  talked 
about  you  to  her,  an'  lef  a  note  fur  de  lady." 

"Is  the  landlady  all  right  ?"  asked  Scobell. 

"  True  to  de  core,"  affirmed  Uncle  Gallus  emphat- 
ically ;  "  more'n  one  poor  feller  as  'scaped  from  Rich- 
mun'  hes  foun'  a  good  bed  an'  supper  at  de  '  Glen 
House.' ' 

"Well,"  said  my  operative,  "you  can  finish  your 
work  here ;  I  have  an  errand  or  two  for  the  missus, 
and  I  must  go  and  attend  to  them  before  dinner." 

So  saying,  he  started  for  the  house,  leaving  Uncle 
Gallus  to  water  and  feed  the  horses,  which  had  now 
sufficiently  cooled,  and  were  enjoying  their  needed 
rest. 

Scobell's  errand  was  simply  to  take  a  stroll  about 
the  village  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  there  was 
any  indication  of  their  having  been  followed  by  any- 
one from  Richmond.  He  strolled  about  the  village, 
noting  carefully  every  one  whom  he  met,  and,  feeling 
comparatively  secure,  started  to  return  to  the  hotel. 

Turning  the  corner  of  a  street  he  came  suddenly 
face  to  face  with  a  peddler,  who  addressed  him  in  a 
rich  Irish  brogue  and  inquired  the  way  to  the  tavern. 
Scobell  gave  him  the  required  information  and  stood 
watching  the  fellow  as  he  ambled  off  in  the  direction 
indicated.  There  was  something  in  the  appearance 
of  this  man  that  attracted  the  attention  and  excited 
the  suspicions  of  my  observant  operative.  He  re- 


374  A     PERILOUS    RIDE. 

solved  to  keep  an  eye  upon  his  movements  and 
endeavor  to  discover,  if  possible,  whether  the  man 
was  a  genuine  peddler,  or  a  spy,  who  had  adopted 
that  disguise  to  conceal  his  true  character. 

In  the  few  words  that  passed  between  them  Sco- 
bell  had  noticed  that  while  the  man's  hair  was  a  fiery 
red  his  eyebrows  and  lashes  appeared  of  a  dark 
brown  color,  and  his  face  was  altogether  of  too 
florid  a  hue  to  be  natural.  These  observations  were 
sufficient  to  put  Scobell  upon  the  alert  at  once,  and 
convinced  him  that  the  man  was  not  what  he  appeared 
to  be. 

Following  slowly  he  watched  him  until  he  reached 
the  hotel  and  entered  the  bar-room,  where,  laying 
aside  his  pack,  he  ordered  his  dinner.  Scobell 
entered  the  room  immediately  behind  him,  and  pass- 
ing through  it,  he  made  his  way  to  the  kitchen,  where 
the  landlady  was  superintending  the  preparations  for 
a  most  savory  dinner.  Calling  her  aside,  he  informed 
her  of  the  peddler's  arrival  and  of  his  suspicions  re- 
garding him,  cautioning  her  to  convey  the  news  to 
his  missus  before  they  met  at  the  table. 

In  a  lew  minutes  dinner  was  announced,  and  the 
boarders,  to  the  number  of  fifteen,  including  Mrs. 
Lawton  and  the  peddler,  with  the  landlady  at  the  head, 
gathered  around  the  long  table  in  the  low,  old-fash- 
ioned dining-room.  The  lively  clatter  of  the  knives 
and  forks  soon  attested  the  vigor  with  which  they 
attacked  the  viands  set  before  them.  The  peddler  ate 


A     PERILOUS    RIDE.  375 

his  meal  in  silence,  undisturbed  by  the  general  con- 
versation going  on  around  him,  and  Mrs.  Lawton 
noticed  that  he  was  keenly  watching  her  whenever  an 
opportunity  occurred  to  do  so,  as  he  thought,  unob- 
served. She,  however,  affected  entire  unconscious- 
ness of  the  scrutiny  she  was  subjected  to,  and  kept 
up  an  animated  conversation  with  the  landlady 
upon  various  trivjal  topics  until  the  meal  was 
finished. 

Scobell,  who  temporarily  acted  as  an  attendant 
at  the  table,  lost  no  opportunity  to  carefully  watch 
the  movements  of  the  peddler,  and  his  searching 
glances,  directed  towards  Mrs.  Lawton,  fully  con- 
vinced him  that  his  previous  suspicions  were  well 
founded. 

Mrs.  Lawton  returned  to  her  room,  not  a  little 
disturbed  at  the  peddler's  strange  behavior,  and  having 
no  doubt  that  the  stranger  was  a  spy,  she  determined 
to  discover  if  she  was  the  object  of  his  visit,  or 
whether  his  appearance  bore  any  relation  to  her 
presence  at  the  hotel.  She  accordingly  sent  for 
Scobell,  and  together  they  decided  that  he  should 
carefully  watch  the  movements  of  the  peddler,  and  if 
nothing  of  a  suspicious  nature  transpired,  they  would 
renew  their  journey  after  nightfall. 

Scobell  immediately  left  the  room,  and  as  he  en- 
tered the  bar-room  he  noticed  that  the  peddler  was  set- 
tling his  score,  preparatory  to  taking  his  departure. 
He  remarked  to  the  landlady,  with  the  same  rich 


376  A     PERILOUS    RIDE. 

brogue  which  Scobell  had  observed,  that  business 
was  dull,  and  that  he  would  have  to  walk  to  Rich- 
mond. 

"All  right,  my  fine  fellow,"  muttered  my  opera- 
tive, "we'll  see  whether  you  are  going  to  Richmond 
or  not." 

The  peddler  lighted  a  short-stemmed  clay  pipe, 
and  swinging  his  pack  over  his  shoulder,  set  off  at  a 
rapid  pace  on  the  road  to  Richmond. 

Scobell  hastened  to  the  stable  and,  procuring  a 
pole  and  line  that  he  had  observed  there  in  the  morn- 
ing, started  off  in  the  direction  which  the  peddler  had 
taken,  but  taking  a  shorter  cut  to  the  river,  which 
would  enable  him  to  reach  the  road  about  a  mile  be- 
low the  village  and  in  advance  of  the  peddler.  Saun- 
tering along  until  he  had  gained  the  shelter  of  a  belt 
of  timber  to  his  left,  he  then  increased  his  pace  until 
'he  was  almost  abreast  of  the  peddler,  though  entirely 
concealed  from  view.  He  was  now  satisfied  that 
with  a  little  effort  he  could  keep  his  man  in  sight, 
and  he  concluded  not  to  pass  him,  as  he  had  at  first 
intended,  but  to  follow  him  until  he  saw  him  on  his 
way  to  the  rebel  capital. 

When  they  were  about  three  miles  from  the  vil- 
lage, the  peddler  suddenly  left  the  road  and  turned  into 
the  woods,  leading  directly  to  the  banks  of  the  river, 
which  at  this  point  were  remarkably  high  and  steep. 
This  movement  was  entirely  unexpected  by  my 
operative,  and  his  only  recourse  was  to  drop  hastily 


A    PERILOUS    RIDE.  377 

behind  a  tree  to  prevent  being  seen.  He  was  not 
discovered,  however,  although  the  peddler,  after  en- 
tering the  timber,  gazed  carefully  around  him,  as  if 
to  see  whether  he  was  being  followed.  Apparently 
satisfied  with  his  survey  he  resumed  his  walk,  in 
happy  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  a  pair  of  gleaming 
eyes  were  not  far  distant,  noting  his  every  move- 
ment. 

Waiting  until  he  had  gone  a  sufficient  distance  to 
render  it  safe,  Scobell  rose  slowly  from  the  ground 
and  stealthily  followed  his  footsteps  until  the  peddler 
paused  at  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  which  ran  down  into 
the  river.  Here  he  tightened  the  strap  of  his  pack, 
and  after  another  hasty  glance  behind  him,  he  began 
the  descent  of  the  bluff,  with  the  aid  of  the  stout 
stick  which  he  carried  with  him.  The  bank  was 
almost  perpendicular,  and  was  covered  with  a  heavy 
undergrowth  of  young  timber  and  brush,  which  made 
the  journey  rather  a  hazardous  undertaking. 

"  Wonder  if  he's  going  to  swim  to  Richmond  with 
that  pack  on  his  shoulders,"  said  Scobell  to  himself, 
as  he  wonderingly  watched  these  strange  movements 
of  the  peddler. 

Fully  determined  to  see  the  end  of  this  mysterious 
maneuver,  but  recognizing  the  necessity  of  exercis- 
ing the  utmost  caution  in  his  advance,  Scobell  slowly 
and  noiselessly  made  his  way  to  the  spot  where  the 
peddler  had  vanished  as  completely  from  his  view  as 
if  he  had  sunk  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 


378  A     PERILOUS    RIDE. 

Advancing  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  edge  of  the 
bluff,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  hands  and  knees, 
and  drew  himself  forward  until  he  could  overlook 
the  steep  descent.  He  could  see  nothing  of  the 
peddler,  however,  for  the  dense  growth  of  bushes  com- 
pletely obstructed  his  view,  but  he  could  readily 
discern  the  marks  of  footprints  in  the  soft  soil,  which 
had  been  made  by  him  in  his  descent  to  the  bottom. 
Here  was  a  dilemma.  He  had  lost  his  man,  and 
he  dared  not  follow  directly  after  him,  as  the  peddler 
might  be  lying  in  ambush,  and  an  encounter  might  be 
fatal.  After  a  few  moments'  consideration,  he  con- 
cluded to  walk  along  the  bluff  a  short  distance  and 
endeavor  to  find  another  path  by  which  he  might 
descend,  and  thus  avoid  the  peddler,  if  he  was  waiting 
to  surprise  him.  About  a  hundred  yards  further  on 
he  came  upon  a  well-beaten  path,  and  here  he  began 
his  descent.  Everything  was  as  quiet  as  the  grave 
around  him,  and  he  reached  the  base  of  the  cliff  in 
safety,  but  without  seeing  anything  of  the  man  he 
was  after.  Passing  up  along  the  lane  by  the  river  a 
short  distance,  he  discovered  a  narrow  path  leading 
in  the  direction  which  the  peddler  had  taken,  and 
showing  the  mark  of  recent  footprints.  Passing 
cautiously  along  this  path  a  short  distance,  he  saw 
that  the  high  bluffs  were  gradually  giving  to  more 
level  banks,  and  that  a  little  further  on  the  stream 
made  a  sharp  detour  to  the  right,  and  swept  out  into 
the  open  and  level  country. 


A     PERILOUS    RIDE.  379 

In  the  bend,  of  the  river,  and  on  the  same  side,  he 
noticed  a  small  cabin,  half  hidden  by  a  clump  of 
trees.  Surmising  that  the  peddler  had  entered  this 
cabin,  he  resolved  to  hide  himself  and  watch  for  a 
few  minutes,  hoping  that  the  man  would  soon  make 
his  appearance.  He  had  scarcely  taken  a  position 
where  he  could  unobse*vedly  note  all  that  was  going 
on,  when  a  man,  whom  he  at  once  recognized  as  the 
peddler,  made  his  appearance  at  the  door,  and  stood 
anxiously  gazing  around,  as  though  expecting  some 
one.  He  still  maintained  his  disguise,  and  appeared 
to  be  alone.  Returning  into  the  cabin,  and  after  a 
few  minutes,  to  the  surprise  of  Scobell,  another  indi- 
vidual made  his  appearance.  This  new-comer,  while 
about  the  same  size  as  the  peddler,  was  a  very 
different-looking  person  indeed,  for  instead  of  the  red 
hair  and  florid  complexion,  he  noticed  that  this  man 
had  a  closely-cropped  head  of  black  hair,  while  his 
complexion  was  dark  and  swarthy. 

"  So  there's  a  pair  of  you  !"  thought  Scobell. 

The  fellow,  after  apparently  satisfying  himself 
that  the  coast  was  clear,  proceeded  to  a  small  stable 
that  stood  in  the  rear  of  the  cabin,  and  almost  on  the 
edge  of  the  river  bank.  Scobell  thought  he  heard 
the  faint  whinny  of  a  horse,  and  shortly  afterwards 
the  man,  mounted  on  a  dark  iron-gray  horse,  appeared, 
and  made  his  way  over  the  hill  and  out  into  the 
direction  of  the  river  road. 

It  instantly  flashed  across  Scobell's  mind  that  this 


38o 


A    PERILOUS    RIDE. 


man  was  no  other  than  his  peddler,  and  without  hesi- 
tation he  approached  the  cabin  and  knocked  loudly 
at  the  door.  There  was  no  response,  and  after  a 
moment's  hesitation  he  lifted  the  latch  and  entered. 
As  he  had  conjectured,  the  cabin  was  empty. 


"  GOOD-MORNING." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  Journey  Resumed. — A  Midnight  Pursuit. — A  Brave 
Woman. — A  Deadly  Encounter. — Scobell  Defends  Him- 
self.— Death  of  a  Rebel  Spy. 

WHILE  these  events  were  occurring,  General 
McClellan  was  advancing  up  the  Peninsula 
towards  ^Richmond.  Yorktown  had  surrendered,  the 
battle  of  Williamsburg  had  been  fought,  and  the  army 
was  advancing  to  the  Chickahominy. 

Mrs.  Lawton' and  John  Scobell  had  been  for  some 
weeks  in  Richmond,  during  which  time  they  had  ob- 
tained much  important  information,  Mrs.  Lawton 
taking  the  role  of  a  Southern  lady  from  Corinth,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  Scobell  acting  as  her  servant.  Having 
determined  to  leave  Richmond,  they  were  on  their 
way  to  join  the  Union  forces,  which,  under  General 
McClellan,  had  their  headquarters  on  the  Chick- 
ahominy at  a  point  about  ten  miles  from  Wilson's 
Landing.  '  Here,  according  to  previous  arrangement, 
they  were  to  meet  Mr.  Lawton,  who  was  also  one  of 
my  operatives,  and  from  that  point  were  to  proceed 
to  the  Union  camp. 

The  landlady  of  the  Glen  House  was  a  stanch 
friend  to  the  Federals,  and  had  on  more  than  one  oc- 
casion rendered  valuable  service  to  my  operatives, 

[381] 


382  DEATH    OF    A 

especially  to  Hugh  Lawton.  It  was  therefore  at 
his  suggestion  that  his  wife  and  Scobell  adopted  the 
plan  they  did  to  leave  Richmond  and  to  reach  our 
lines.  As  Uncle  Gallus  had  stated,  a  man  had  stop- 
ped at  the  tavern  the  night  before  and  had  informed 
Mrs.  Braxton,  the  landlady,  that  these  parties  would 
take  that  route  from  Richmond — and  had  left  a  note 
to  be  delivered  to  Mrs.  Lawton,  which  contained  in- 
structions of  her  future  line  of  travel. 

The  trip  from  Glendale  was  one  attended  with 
great  risk,  as  the  country,  on  that  side  of  the  river, 
was  filled  with  the  scouts  of  both  armies,  and  if  cap- 
tured by  the  rebel  scouts  or  pickets,  the  chances  were 
that  detection  would  be  followed  by  serious  conse- 
quences. Among  my  female  operatives,  however, 
none  were  clearer-headed  or  more  resolute  than  Mrs. 
Lawton,  who  prior  to  this  time  had  been  a  most  effi- 
cient worker  and  had  been  remarkably  successful  on 
her  trips  into  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  In  each  case 
she  had  escaped  with  rare  good  fortune. 

When  Scobell  entered  the  structure  which  the 
stranger  had  left,  he  found  that  it  comprised  but  a 
single  room,  and  immediately  proceeded  to  make  a 
thorough  examination  of  its  interior.  A  small  fire- 
place on  one  side,  which  showed  no  signs  of  having 
been  recently  used,  and  a  number  of  benches,  were 
scattered  about,  In  the  corner  of  the  room  he  saw 
the  pack  and  several  articles  that  had  been  worn  by 
the  peddler,  which  left  no  further  room  for  doubt  in 


REBEL     SPY,  383 

his  mind  as  to  the  character  of  the  individual  he  had 
been  watching  for  so  long  a  time. 

He  accordingly  set  out  for  Glendale,  where  he 
arrived  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  western 
horizon.  He  narrated  the  particulars  of  his  chase  to 
Mrs.  Lawton,  whow  as  convinced  that  the  peddler  was 
a  rebel  spy ;  but  the  question  was — Was  he  upon 
their  track  ?  Did  he  suspect  them  ?  and  if  so,  by 
what  means  had  he  discovered  who  they  were  and 
what  their  destination  was  ? 

Without  attempting  to  settle  these  questions, 
however,  they  concluded  to  set  out  at  once  for  the 
landing.  The  horses  were  brought  to  the  door  by 
Uncle  Gallus,  who  was  closely  questioned  as  to 
whether  a  horseman  answering  the  description  given 
by  Scobell  had  passed  through  the  village  that  after- 
noon, did  not  remember  having  seen  such  a  person. 
Believing  that  possibly  the  man  might  really  have 
gone  on  to  Richmond  they  concluded  to  start  that 
night  and  hazard  the  consequences. 

Both  of  them  were  well  armed  and  were  therefore 
fully  prepared  to  defend  themselves,  unless  attacked 
by  numbers.  They  rode  swiftly  along  at  the  free 
and  sweeping  gallop  for  which  the  southern  saddle- 
horses  are  so  famous,  and  feeling  quite  secure,  they 
conversed  pleasantly  together  on  their  way. 

"  I  guess  we  will  get  through  all  right,  notwith- 
standing our  fears  to  the  contrary,"  said  Mrs.  Law- 
ton. 


384  DEATH    OF    A 

"  I  dunno  about  that,"  replied  Scobell ;  "  we're  not 
through  with  our  journey  yet,  and  there's  plenty  of 
time  for  trouble  yet.  Perhaps  we  had  better  walk 
the  horses  a  spell." 

"That  is  a  good  suggestion,"  assented  Mrs.  Law- 
ton,  "we  will  walk  them  a  mile  or  two,  and  then  we 
will  be  enabled  to  go  the  faster." 

"  I  tell  you,  missus,"  said  Scobell,  "  I  wish  we  was 
at  the  landin' ;  somehow  I  feel  that  there  is  yet  dan- 
ger ahead." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Lawton. 

"  Well,  I  am  afraid  that  confounded  peddler  will 
turn  up  before  we  get  through." 

"Why,  I  can  manage  him  myself,"  laughed  Mrs. 
Lawton,  "and  if  that  is  all  you  fear,  we  are  perfectly 
safe." 

"  Now  you're  pokin  fun  at  me,  missus  ;  but  you'll 
find  that  I  can  fight  if  I  get  the  chance,  and  I  was 
thinking  more  of  you  than  of  myself." 

"  Well,  there's  an  old  saying,  John,  don't  cross  a 
bridge  until  you  reach  it ;  so  we  won't  borrow  trouble 
until  it  comes." 

Their  journey  now  lay  through  a  richly  cultivated 
district ;  on  either  side  were  fine  farms,  whose  grow- 
ing crops  had  not  yet  been  touched  by  the  ravages 
of  war,  and  the  country,  under  the  soft  light  of  the 
moon  presented  a  scene  of  rare  beauty.  Away  to  the 
left  ran  the  river,  now  bathed  in  a  flood  of  silvery 


REBEL    SPY.  385 

light,  which,  emerging  from  a  belt  of  woods,  pursued 
its  winding  way  until  again  lost  to  view  in  the  woods 
that  were  sharply  outlined  at  a  distance.  To  their 
right  the  country  was  broken  and  hilly,  and  the  land- 
scape presented  a  rugged  and  picturesque  appearance 
in  marked  contrast  to  the  evidences  of  cultivation 
upon  the  other  side.  The  night  was  soft  and  balmy, 
and  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  sound  of  the 
horses'  hoofs  as  they  slowly  trotted  along.  It  seemed 
difficult  to  believe  that  war  was  abroad  in  the  land, 
and  that  even  now,  while  in  the  enjoyment  of  appar- 
ent safety,  danger  was  lurking  on  every  hand. 

Their  horses  being  now  sufficiently  rested,  they 
again  pressed  forward  at  a  rapid  pace  until  they  were 
about  five  miles  from  the  landing  which  was  their 
point  of  destination.  There  Mrs.  Lawton's  husband 
was  to  meet  her  and  the  balance  of  the  journey,  to 
the  Union  camp  would  be  free  from  danger,  as  the 
Federal  pickets  were  posted  across  the  river. 

They  were  now  approaching  a  patch  of  timber, 
through  which  they  would  be  compelled  to  pass,  and 
an  instinctive  feeling  of  dread  came  over  both  of 
them  as  they  drew  near  to  it.  The  trees  grew  close 
together,  shutting  out  the  light  of  the  moon,  and 
rendering  the  road  extremely  dark  and  gloomy. 

"  Just  the  place  for  an  ambuscade,"  said  Mrs. 
Lawton  shiveringly  ;  "  draw  your  pistols,  John,  and  be 
ready  in  case  of  attack." 

Scobell  silently  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  riding 
25 


386  DEATH    OF    A 

close  together,  they  entered  the  wood.  The  darkness 
was  so  great,  that  they  could  distinguish  objects  but 
a  short  distance  ahead  of  them.  They  passed  safely 
through  the  wood,  however,  and  as  they  emerged 
from  the  darkness,  they  congratulated  themselves  up- 
on their  good  fortune,  and  began  to  think  that  they 
were  unduly  alarming  themselves. 

Their  comforting  reflections  were  of  short  dura- 
tion, however,  for  scarcely  had  they  left  the  wood, 
than  they  perceived  four  horsemen  approaching  them 
at  a  swift  gallop.  What  to  do  now  was  a  question  to 
be  decided  promptly.  To  turn  and  retreat  would 
certainly  insure  their  capture,  as  the  woods  were  just 
behind,  and  they  were  afraid  to  travel  through  them 
on  a  run — so  they  resolved  to  bravely  continue  their 
way,  and  trust  to  chance  for  their  safe  deliverance, 
should  the  new-comers  prove  to  be  foes. 

A  few  hurried  words  were  exchanged  between 
them,  as  they  arranged  that  each  should  select  a  man 
and  fire  on  the  instant  theywere  challenged,  and  then 
they  were  to  dash  ahead,  hoping  by  this  bold  and  un- 
expected move  to  disconcert  their  assailants  by  killing 
or  disabling  two  of  their  number,  and  thus  effect 
their  escape. 

As  the  advancing  party  came  closer,  they  divided, 
two  going  on  each  side  of  the  road,  leaving  a  space 
between  them  for  our  travelers  to  pass  through. 
They  were  now  close  enough  for  my  operatives  to 
discover  that  two  of  them  wore  the  uniform  of  Con- 


REBEL    SPY.  387 

federate  gray,  with  heavy  sabres  at  their  sides,  while 
the  others  were  apparently  in  citizens'  clothes. 

Scobell,  who  had  been  intently  regarding  them, 
now  exclaimed  : 

"  'Fore  God,  missus,  that  one  on  your  side  is  the 
peddler!" 

He  had  scarcely  uttered  these  words,  when  one  of 
the  men  called  out : 

"  Halt,  and  throw  up  your  hands  I" 

They  were  now  nearly  face  to  face  with  each 
other,  and  in  a  flash  two  sharp  reports  rang  out  on 
the  still  night  air,  and  two  of  the  men  reeled  and  fell 
from  their  saddles. 

"  At  'em  !"  hissed  Scobell,  through  his  clenched 
teeth,  as  he  plunged  the  spurs  into  his  steed.  The 
two  animals  sprang  forward,  like  arrows  from  the 
string,  and  in  a  moment  they  had  dashed  past  the 
others,  who  seemed  dazed  at  the  suddenness  of  their 
actions,  and  before  they  recovered  themselves,  my 
operatives  were  speeding  like  the  wind  some  distance 
away. 

"  Lay  low  to  your  saddle !"  cried  Scobell  to  his 
companion,  "  and  turn  your  horse  as  far  to  the  side 
of  the  road  as  you  can,"  at  the  same  time  turning  his 
own  animal  close  to  the  fence  that  ran  along  the 
roadside. 

His  directions  were  immediately  followed  by  Mrs. 
Lawton,  who  retained  a  wonderful  control  over  her- 
self and  the  beast  she  rode. 


388  DEATH    OF    A 

It  was  evident  that  their  enemies  had  not  been 
expecting  such  a  result  to  their  demand,  and  they  sat 
for  a  time  like  statues ;  then,  as  if  suddenly  recollect- 
ing themselves,  they  wheeled  their  horses,  and,  dis- 
charging their  revolvers  in  rapid  succession,  started 
in  swift  pursuit. 

"  They'll  never  get  us  now,"  said  Scobell,  "  un- 
less their  horses  are  made  of  better  stuff- than  I  think 
they  are." 

The  race  now  became  an  exciting  one  ;  the  pur- 
suers having  emptied  their  weapons,  without  doing 
any  harm  to  the  escaping  pair,  did  not  take  time  to 
reload,  but  urged  their  horses  to  their  utmost  speed. 
They  soon  discovered  that  their  horses  were  no 
match  for  those  of  the  fugitives,  and  their  curses  were 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  both  Scobell  and  his 
companion,  as  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts  they  found 
themselves  unable  to  lessen  the  distance  between 
them. 

Scobell  several  times  ventured  a  look  over  his 
shoulder,  to  note  the  progress  of  their  pursuers,  and 
on  each  occasion,  finding  them  still  lagging  behind, 
he  uttered  some  encouraging  remark  to  Mrs.  Law- 
ton,  who  was  straining  every  nerve  in  the  attempt  to 
escape. 

While  indulging  in  one  of  these  hasty  observa- 
tions, and  forgetting  for  a  moment  the  management 
of  his  horse,  the  animal  suddenly  swerved  from  the 
road,  as  if  frightened  at  some  object  in  advance  of 


REBEL     SPY.  389 

them,    and,    stumbling,    fell  heavily   to   the   ground, 
throwing  Scobell  over  his  head  and  into  the  ditch. 

Scrambling  quickly  to  his  feet,  the  negro  shouted 
to  his  companion : 

"  Go  ahead,  don't  mind  me  ;  save  yourself !" 

He  then  turned  his  attention  to  his  horse,  which 
had  now  recovered  his  feet,  and  stood  panting  and 
trembling  in  every  nerve  both  from  fright  and  exces- 
sive exertion.  Listening  intently,  he  could  hear  the 
clatter  of  hoofs  of  the  horse  rode  by  Mrs.  Lawton, 
in  the  distance,  while  coming  closer  every  instant  was 
the  noise  of  the  approaching  horsemen.  They  had 
discovered  his  misfortune,  and  were  now  shouting 
and  yelling  with  triumph  at  the  possibility  of  captur- 
ing at  least  one  of  the  party.  There  was  no  time  for 
mounting,  even  if  his  horse  was  unhurt,  and  Scobell 
determined  to  make  a  bold  stand  and  sell  his  life 
dearly,  while  he  would  assuredly  prevent  the  capture 
of  Mrs.  Lawton. 

Leading  his  horse  to  the  side  of  the  road,  he 
placed  himself  behind  him,  and  resting  his  trusty 
weapon  across  the  saddle,  he  awaited  the  coming  of 
the  approaching  horsemen.  He  calmly  waited  until 
the  two  men  were  within  a  few  yards  of  him,  and 
then,  taking  as  good  aim  as  the  light  of  the  moon 
enabled  him  to  do,  he  fired.  The  horseman  nearest 
him  uttered  a  scream  of  anguish,  and,  throwing  up 
both  hands,  toppled  from  the  saddle  and  fell  upon  the 
ground,  while  his  frightened  horse,  with  a  snort  of 


390  DEATH    OF    A 

terror,  wheeled  around  and  dashed  off  in  the  direction 
from  whence  he  had  come. 

The  remaining  man  stopped  his  horse  with  a  jerk 
that  drew  him  back  upon  his  haunches,  and  then, 
turning  swiftly  around,  set  off  in  the  opposite 
direction,  while  the  bullets  from  Scobell's  weapon 
whistled  in  dangerously  close  proximity  to  his 
ears. 

Scobell,  seeing  that  three  of  the  pursuers  were 
either  dead  or  badly  wounded,  proceeded  to  re- 
load his  weapon,  and  was  preparing  to  remount  his 
horse  and  follow  after  Mrs.  Lawton,  when  he  heard 
the  tramp  of  horses'  feet  coming  from  the  direction  in 
which  she  had  gone.  From  the  noise  they  made,  he 
was  convinced  that  the  approaching  party  numbered 
at  least  a  score,  and  that  they  were  riding  at  a 
sweeping  gallop.  A  bend  in  the  road,  however,  hid 
them  from  his  view,  and  he  was  unable  to  determine 
whether  they  were  friends  or  foes.  In  an  instant 
later  they  swept  into  full  sight,  and,  to  his  intense 
relief,  he  discovered  that  they  were  Union  cavalry- 
men, and  that  Mrs.  Lawton  and  her  husband  were  at 
their  head. 

"  Hello,  John  !"  exclaimed  Lawton,  as  they  came 
up,  "are  you  hurt  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  Scobell. 

"What  has  become  of  your  assailants  ?" 

"  Two  of  them  we  left  a  mile  or  two  back,  one  is 
lying  there  in  the  road,  and  the  other,  so  far  as  I 


REBEL     SPY.  391 

know,  is  making  tracks  for  Richmond,"  answered 
Scobell. 

"You  are  a  brave  fellow,  Scobell,"  said  the 
Captain  of  the  squad,  coming  forward.  "  You  were 
lucky  in  escaping  their  bullets,  and  still  more  so  that 
you  didn't  break  your  neck  when  your  horse  fell  with 
you,  at  the  speed  you  were  going." 

"He  fell  on  his  head,  I  reckon,"  ventured  one  of 
the  soldiers,  waggishly,  "  which  accounts  for  his  not 
being  hurt." 

"  That's  so,"  replied  Scobell,  in  all  serious- 
ness, "  I  landed  right  square  on  my  head  in  that 
ditch." 

A  roar  of  laughter  followed  this  remark,  and  Sco- 
bell added,  good-naturedly  : 

"  It  might  have  killed  one  of  you  fellows,  but  it 
didn't  even  give  me  the  headache.  I  am  glad, 
though,  it  wasn't  the  missus'  horse,  or  things  might 
have  turned  out  different." 

The  Captain  now  cut  short  the  conversation  by 
ordering  four  of  the  party  to  pursue  the  flying  rebel, 
and,  if  possible,  effect  his  capture,  while  the  rest  pro- 
ceeded to  hunt  up  those  that  had  been  injured.  The 
man  whom  Scobell  had  shot  last  was  soon  found  ;  he 
was  dead,  the  ball  having  entered  his  skull.  Riding 
back  to  the  spot  where  the  first  encounter  took  place, 
they  discovered  the  dead  body  of  the  peddler,  or  spy, 
who  had  met  his  doom  from  the  bullet  of  Mrs.  Law- 
ton,  while  his  companion,  with  a  shattered  arm,  was 


392  DEATH    OF    A 

sitting  up,  and  nearly  faint  from  loss  of  blood,  and 
suffering  intense  pain. 

Having  captured  two  of  the  horses  ridden  by  the 
party,  and  bandaging  the  shattered  arm  as  well  as 
they  were  able,  the  wounded  man  was  placed  on  one 
of  the  animals  and  under  an  escort  they  were  con- 
veyed to  the  Union  lines. 

Two  shallow  graves  were  hastily  dug,  and  in  them 
were  placed  the  bodies  of  the  two  dead  men.  The 
party  sent  after  the  escaped  soldier  soon  returned, 
reporting  that  he  had  obtained  too  much  the  start  of 
them  to  be  overtaken,  and  they  were  compelled  to 
give  up  the  chase. 

The  entire  party  then  returned  to  the  Landing, 
and  in  the  morning  my  operatives  were  put  across 
the  river,  where  they  reported  in  due  time  at  head- 
quarters, where  they  detailed  fully  the  information 
which  they  had  gleaned  in  the  rebel  capital. 

It  was  subsequently  learned  that  the  peddler  was 
a  rebel  spy,  and  for  some  time  past  had  been  visiting 
the  Union  camps  gathering  information,  which  he 
had  no  doubt  conveyed  to  the  rebels.  On  his  person 
were  found  papers  which  fully  confirmed  this,  and 
that  they  failed  to  reach  their  destination  on  account 
of  his  death,  was  a  fortunate  occurrence  for  the 
Union  cause. 

How  he  had  discovered  the  character  of  my  oper- 
atives is  a  mystery  yet  unsolved,  as  his  wounded 
companion,  when  examined  the  next  day,  stated  that 


REBEL     SP  Y. 


393 


he  had  met  him  that  night  for  the  first  time,  and  had 
at  his  request  accompanied  him  in  the  trip  which  had 
ended  so  disastrously.  He  further  stated  that  his 
party  belonged  to  a  band  of  independent  scouts, 
which  had  but  lately  been  attached  to  Lee's  Army, 
and  were  assigned  to  Gen.  Stuart's  Cavalry.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lawton  and  Scobell  soon  afterwards  re- 
turned to  Washington,  where  they  were  allowed  to 
rest  themselves  for  a  time  before  being  again  called 
upon. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A  Woman  s  Discoveries.  —  An  Infernal  Machine.  —  The  Ship- 
ping in  Danger.  —  Discovery  and  Destruction  of  the  Sub- 
marine Battery. 


~**HE  destiny  of  nations,  history  tells  us,  some- 
times turns  upon  the  most  trivial  things. 
Rome  was  once  saved  by  the  gabbling  of  a  flock  of 
geese,  whose  cries  awoke  a  sentinel  sleeping  at  his 
post,  just  in  time  to  give  the  alarm  and  enable  the 
Roman  soldiers  to  successfully  repel  the  attack  of 
an  invading  foe.  A  certain  exiled  and  fugitive  king 
took  courage  from  watching  a  spider  build  its  web, 
recovered  his  kingdom,  and  a  crown  that  had  been 
wrested  from  him  by  the  misfortune  of  war.  Darius, 
made  King  of  Persia  by  the  neighing  of  a  horse  — 
and  in  our  own  day  historians  agree,  that  had  it  not 
been  for  the  opportune  appearance  of  the  "  Monitor  " 
when  the  rebel  iron-clad  "  Merrimac  "  steamed  out 
of  Hampton  Roads  in  March,  1862,  the  destruction  of 
the  Union  might  have  been  an  accomplished  fact. 
For  had  not  that  formidable  battery  met  her  match 
in  the  "Yankee  cheese-box,"  as  the  "  Monitor  "  was 
derisively  called,  she  might  have  cleared  the  water 
of  Union  sloops  of  war,  raised  the  blockade,  opened 
[394] 


DESTRUCTION    OF     THE    BATTERY.        395 

the  way  by  river  to  Washington,  shelled  the  na- 
tional capital  and  turned  the  fortunes  of  war  decid- 
edly in  favor  of  the  South. 

This  battle  was  an  important  epoch  in  the  history 
of  nations,  and  demonstrated  to  the  world  the  formi- 
dable character  of  iron-clad  war  vessels,  hitherto  un- 
known ;  and  placed  the  United  States  on  record  as 
having  produced  the  most  invincible  navy  in  the  world. 

In  addition  to  the  "  Merrimac,"  the  South,  early  in 
1862,  had  devised  a  great  many  ingenious  machines 
in  the  shape  of  torpedoes  and  submarine  batteries, 
that  were  designed  for  the  purpose  of  blowing  up  the 
Union  vessels  that  blockaded  the  Southern  ports. 

It  was  through  the  efforts  of  one  of  my  operatives 
that  the  existence  of  one  of  these  submarine  batteries 
was  discovered,  and  that,  too,  just  in  the  nick  of  time 
to  save  the  Federal  blockading  fleet  at  the  mouth  of 
the  James  River  from  probable  destruction.  It  was  in 
the  early  part  of  November,  1861,  that  I  dispatched 
one  of  my  lady  operatives  to  Richmond  and  the 
South,  for  the  especial  purpose  of  ascertaining  as 
much  information  as  possible  about  these  torpedoes 
and  infernal  machines,  which  I  had  good  reason  to 
believe  were  constructed  at  the  rebel  capital.  The 
Tredegar  Iron  Works,  the  largest  factory  of  the  kind 
in  the  South,  were  located  at  this  place,  and  since  the 
commencement  of  hostilities  had  been  manufacturing 
cannon  and  all  kinds  of  shot  and  shell  for  the  Con- 
federacy. 


396  DISCOVERY    AND    DESTRUCTION 

The  lady  whom  I  selected  for  this  task  was  Mrs. 
E.  H.  Baker ;  she  had  been  in  my  employ  for  years, 
and  at  one  time  had  resided  in  Richmond,  although, 
prior  to  the  war,  she  had  removed  to  the  North,  where 
she  had  since  dwelt. 

This  lady,  fortunately  enough,  was  well  acquainted 
with  a  Captain  Atwater  and  his  family,  who  resided 
in  Richmond,  and  after  undertaking  the  mission,  she 
wrote  to  them  from  Chicago,  apparently,  stating  that 
notwithstanding  the  conflict  between  the  two  sections 
of  the  country,  she  designed  to  pay  a  visit  to  them 
and  renew  the  acquaintance  of  years  ago. 

She  accordingly  started,  and  after  a  circuitous 
journey,  arrived  in  Richmond  on  the  24th  day  of  the 
month.  The  Captain  and  his  family  received  her 
most  hospitably,  and  requested  her  to  make  her 
home  with  them  during  her  stay  in  that  city. 

Captain  Atwater,  although  holding  a  commission 
in  the  rebel  army,  was  at  heart  a  Union  man,  and 
secretly  rejoiced  at  the  news  of  a  Federal  victory. 
He  soon  expressed  his  views  to  my  operative  so 
clearly  and  forcibly,  that  she  believed,  if  he  could  do 
so,  without  jeopardy,  he  would  join  the  Union  troops, 
and  fight  for  the  cause  that  really  had  his  heartiest 
wishes  for  success. 

While  Mrs.  Baker  did  not  reveal  to  him  her  con- 
nection with  the  secret  service  of  the  United  States, 
she  took  no  pains  to  conceal  from  him  her  real  senti- 
ments, and  in  their  confidential  conversations,  was 


OF     THE    SUBMARINE    BATTERY.          397 

quite  free  in  expressing  her  desire  for  a  speedy  Union 
triumph.  The  Captain  was  firm  in  his  belief  that  the 
South  was  wrong,  and  that  the  masses  had  been  led 
into  the  war  by  designing  and  ambitious  politicians, 
and  that  she  must  eventually  fail.  Moreover,  he 
said,  that,  while  born  in  a  slaveholding  State,  he  be- 
lieved the  institution  to  be  wicked  and  cruel,  and  that 
the  South  should  have  given  up  her  slaves  rather 
than  have  gone  out  of  the  Union. 

Loyal  as  he  was,  the  Captain  understood  the 
Southern  people  thoroughly,  and  he  felt  sure  that 
they  would  fight  long  and  stubbornly,  rather  than 
yield  to  the  blacks  the  boon  of  freedom.  Many 
days  thus  passed  in  quiet  enjoyment  and  in  these 
stolen  discussions  upon  the  important  topics  of  the 
day.  Mrs.  Baker  found  herself  very  comfortably  sit- 
uated beneath  the  Captain's  hospitable  roof,  and 
nearly  a  week  was  passed  in  viewing  Richmond  and 
the  strange  sights  it  then  afforded. 

On  every  hand  she  saw  preparations  for  war,  and 
at  every  street  she  turned,  she  was  confronted  with 
armed  soldiers,  whose  measured  tread  kept  time  to 
the  music  of  fife  and  drum.  In  company  with  the  Cap- 
tain, she  also  visited  the  earthworks  and  fortifications 
around  Richmond,  and  gained  many  valuable  points  of 
information  in  regard  to  their  number  and  extent. 

As  yet,  however,  she  had  been  unable  to  discover 
anything  concerning  the  special  object  of  her  mission, 
and  feeling  the  necessity  of  accomplishing  something 


398  DISCOVERY    AND    DESTRUCTION 

in  that  direction,  she  resolved  to  act.  She  had  now 
established  herself  so  firmly  in  the  estimation  of  those 
with  whom  she  associated,  that  she  believed  she  could 
with  safety  turn  her  inquiries  in  the  direction  that 
would  lead  to  the  knowledge  she  desired  to  gain. 
Accordingly,  one  evening  at  the  tea-table  she  remark- 
ed, incidentally,  that  she  desired  very  much  to  visit 
the  Tredegar  Iron  Works. 

"  Why,  certainly,"  replied  the  Captain  ;  "  I  will  be 
most  happy  to  go  with  you  to-morrow." 

"  That  will  be  delightful,"  said  Mrs.  Baker,  en- 
thusiastically. 

"  But  stay  a  moment,"  said  the  Captain,  musingly, 
"  I  am  afraid  I  will  not  be  able  to  go  to-morrow,  as  I 
have  to  go  down  the  river  to  witness  a  test  of  a  sub- 
marine battery." 

"  Why  couldn't  I  go,  too  ?"  demurely  asked  my 
operative.  "  I  am  sure  I  should  enjoy  it  very  .much  ; 
that  is,  if  there  is  no  danger  connected  with  it." 

"  Oh,  there  is  no  danger,  whatever,  and  there  will, 
doubtless,  be  a  number  of  ladies  present,  and  you  can 
go  if  you  wish  to." 

"  I  should  most  certainly  wish  to,"  laughingly 
answered  Mrs.  Baker. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  Captain ;  "if  you  and  Mrs. 
Atwater  will  be  ready  by  nine  o'clock,  we  will  have 
ample  time  to  reach  the  place,  which  is  some  few 
miles  below  the  city." 

The  ladies  were  both  much   pleased   with    this 


OF     THE    SUBMARINE    BATTERY.          399 

arrangement,  and  expressed  themselves  in  extrava- 
gant terms  of  thankfulness  for  a  trip  which,  no  doubt, 
would  be  exceedingly  pleasant.  The  Captain  then 
proceeded  to  explain  to  them  the  nature  of  the 
battery  which  was  to  be  experimented  with  on  the 
morrow.  He  explained  the  object  to  be  obtained  by 
this  battery,  which  was  to  break  up  the  blockading  fleet 
at  the  mouth  of  the  James  River,  and  thus  give  the 
South  an  outlet  to  the  sea. 

The  next  day  they  started  in  a  carriage  for  the 
scene  of  the  exhibition,  which  was  located  about  ten 
miles  below  the  city.  Arriving  at  the  appointed 
spot,  they  found  quite  a  large  number  of  military 
men,  many  of  them  accompanied  by  ladies,  assembled 
to  witness  the  testing  of  the  machine,  from  which  so 
much  was  expected. 

A  large  scow  had  been  towed  into  the  middle  of 
the  river,  and  the  submarine  vessel  was  to  approach 
it  and  attach  a  magazine,  containing  nearly  half  a 
bushel  of  powder,  to  which  was  attached  several 
deadly  projectiles,  and  this  was  to  be  fired  by  a 
peculiarly  constructed  fuse,  connected  by  a  long  wire 
coiled  on  board  the  submarine  vessel. 

At  a  given  signal  the  boat  was  sunk  into  the  river, 
about  half  a  mile  below  the  scow,  and  shortly  after- 
wards it  began  to  make  its  way  under  the  water 
towards  it.  The  only  visible  sign  of  its  existence 
was  a  large  float  that  rested  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  which  was  connected  with  the  vessel 


400  DISCOVERY    AND    DESTRUCTION 

below,  designed  to  supply  the  men  that  operated  it 
with  air.  This  float  was  painted  a  dark  green,  to 
imitate  the  color  of  the  water,  and  could  only  be 
noticed  by  the  most  careful  observer.  As  my  opera- 
tive listened  to  a  full  explanation  of  the  machine  and 
its  workings,  she  could  scarcely  control  her  emotions 
of  fear  for  the  safety  of  the  Federal  boats,  in  the 
event  of  its  successful  operation,  and  provided  the 
government  was  not  speedily  warned  of  its  exist- 
ence. 

It  was  learned  that  this  vessel  was  but  a  small 
working  model  of  a  much  larger  one,  that  was  now 
nearly  completed,  and  would  be  finished  in  about  two 
weeks,  and  would  then  be  taken  to  the  mouth  of  the 
James  River,  to  operate  on  the  war  vessels  guarding 
that  port. 

They  had  obtained  an  excellent  position,  where 
they  had  a  full  view  of  the  river,  and  with  the  aid  of 
a  strong  field-glass  they  could  distinctly  watch  the 
large  "  float,"  which  indicated  the  approach  of  the 
vessel. 

"  How  do  the  men  who  operate  the  machine  man- 
age to  attach  the  magazine  to  the  vessel  they  design 
to  destroy?"  asked  Mrs.  Baker. 

"  Two  or  three  men,  who  operate  the  boat,"  re- 
plied the  Captain,  "  are  provided  with  submarine  div- 
ing armor,  which  enables  them  to  work  under  the 
water  and  attach  the  magazine  to  the  ship  intended 
to  be  blown  up.  They  then  have  only  to  quickly 


OF     THE    SUBMARINE    BATTERY.          401 

move  away  to  a  safe  distance,  fire  their  fuse,  and  the 
work  is  done." 

The  Captain  also  informed  her,  that  the  object 
was  to  break  the  blockade  and  allow  the  steamers 
"Patrick  Henry"  and  "Thomas  Jefferson"  out  to 
sea,  these  vessels  being  loaded  with  cotton  and  bound 
for  England. 

While  they  were  talking,  my  operative  was  closely 
watching,  by  the  aid  of  her  glass,  the  movements  of 
the  boat,  and 'she  now  noticed  that  having  approached 
to  within  a  few  rods  of  the  scow,  it  stopped,  and  the 
water  "float"  which  indicated  its  position  remained 
motionless.  After  remaining  in  this  position  for  a 
few  minutes,  it  slowly  began  to  recede  from  the  scow, 
in  the  direction  from  whence  it  came. 

It  moved  steadily  away  some  hundreds  of  yards, 
and  Mrs.  Baker  was  wondering  at  the  seemingly 
long  delay,  when  suddenly,  and  without  any  previous 
warning  whatever,  there  was  a  terrific  explosion,  and 
the  scow  seemed  lifted  bodily  out  of  the  water  and 
thrown  high  into  the  air.  Her  destruction  was  com- 
plete, and  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  that  the 
submarine  battery  could  be  used  with  deadly  and 
telling  effect  on  the  ships  constituting  the  Federal 
blockading  squadron. 

Those  who  witnessed  the  experiment  were,  of 
course,  much  elated  over  the  efficient  work  of  de- 
struction which  had  been  accomplished,  and  even 

Captain  Atwater,  in  his  enthusiasm  as  a  soldier,  for- 
26 


402  DISCOVERY    AND    DESTRUCTION 

got  temporarily  his  real  feelings,  in  his  undisguised 
admiration  of  the  ingenuity  of  the  invention  and  the 
effectiveness  of  its  operation. 

Mrs.  Baker,  however,  looked  on  with  a  heavy 
heart  as  she  reflected  upon  the  terrible  consequences 
of  the  workings  of  this  machine,  and  at  once  felt  the 
urgent  necessity  of  taking  steps  to  inform  me  what 
she  had  witnessed.  Unless  something  was  done  in 
this  direction,  she  felt  confident  that  the  Federal 
ships  would  be  destroyed,  the  blockade  forever  ended, 
and  untold  disaster  would  attend  the  Union  cause. 

After  their  return  home  that  evening,  she  made 
copious  notes  of  what  she  had  learned  and  witnessed, 
which  she  safely  secreted  about  her  person.  The 
next  day,  in  company  with  the  Captain,  she  visited 
the  Tredegar  Iron  Works,  and  inspected  the  boat 
'that  was  being  built.  It  was  truly  a  formidable-look- 
ing engine  of  destruction. 

The  next  day,  being  Sunday,  she  remained  at  the 
residence  of  the  Captain,  and  on  Monday  morning, 
having  procured  a  pass,  she  bade  farewell  to  her  host 
and  his  amiable  spouse,  and  left  Richmond  for  Fred- 
ericksburg.  From  thence  she  made  her  way  to 
Washington  by  the  way  of  Leonardstown,  and  lost  no 
time  in  reporting  to  me  the  success  of  her  trip.  She 
had  made  a  hasty,  though  quite  comprehensive,  sketch 
of  the  vessel,  which  sketch  is  still  in  my  possession, 
and  which  showed  the  position  under  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  explained  its  workings. 


OF     THE    SUBMARINE    BATTERY.          403 

1 

I  immediately  laid  my  information  before  General 
McClellan  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  who  at 
once  transmitted  the  intelligence  to  the  commanders 
of  the  squadron,  instructing  them  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  for  the  "  water-colored  surface  float,"  and  to 
drag  the  water  for  the  purpose  of  securing  possession 
of  the  air  tubes  connecting  the  float  with  the  vessel 
below. 

Nothing  was  heard  from  this  for  about  three 
weeks,  but  about  that  time  I  was  informed  that  one 
of  the  vessels  of  the  blockading  fleet  off  the  mouth 
of  the  James  River  had  discovered  the  float,  and  put- 
ting out  her  drag-rope,  had  caught  the  air-tubes  and 
thus  effectually  disabled  the  vessel  from  doing  any 
harm,  and  no  doubt  drowning  all  who  were  on  board 
of  her. 

This  incident,  and  the  peculiarity  of  the  machine, 
was  duly  discussed  in  the  newspapers  at  that  time, 
who  stated  that  "  by  a  mere  accident  the  Federal 
fleet  off  James  River  had  been  saved  from  destruc- 
tion"-—but  I  knew  much  better,  and  that  the  real 
credit  of  the  discovery  was  due  to  a  lady  of  my  own 
force.  The  efficient  manner  in  which  this  work  was 
performed  was  of  great  service  to  the  nation,  and  sus- 
tained the  reputation  of  the  Secret  Service  Depart- 
ment, as  being  an  important  adjunct  in  aiding  the 
government  in  its  efforts  to  suppress  the  rebellion. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"Stuttering  Dave" — His  Tramp  Through  t/ie  Rebel  Lines. 
— An  Ammunition  Train. — "Dave's"  Plan  Succeeds  in 
its  Destruction.— A  Man  Who  Stuttered  and  •'  Had  Fits" 

ONE  morning,  while  the  army  was  on  the  ad- 
vance up  the  Peninsula,  I  was  strolling  about 
the  camp,  when  I  encountered  a  group  of  soldiers 
gathered  around  one  of  their  number,  who  appeared 
to  be  entertaining  them  immensely  with  his  droll 
anecdotes  and  dry  witticisms.  Approaching  closer, 
I  became  one  of  the  crowd  that  surrounded  the  nar- 
rator, and  listened  to  an  amusing  incident  admirably 
told,  which  had  happened  to  him  a  day  or  two  before 
while  out  with  a  scouting  party. 

He  was  a  man  about  thirty  years  of  age,  of 
medium  height,  strongly  and  compactly  built,  and 
with  a  good,  firm,  intelligent  face,  over  which  he  had 
the  most  perfect  control.  So  perfect  was  his  com- 
mand over  his  facial  expression  that  he  could  make 
his  hearers  roar  with  laughter,  while  he,  to  use  a 
homely  phrase,  would  "  never  crack  a  smile."  I 
noticed  on  joining  the  little  crowd  that  had  gathered 
around  him,  that  the  fellow  stuttered  amazingly, 
which  fact,  together  with  his  imperturbable  gravity, 
[404] 


MAN  WHO  STUTTERED  AND  "  HAD  FITS."  405 

seemed  to  be  the  secret  of  his  always  having  a  good 
audience  about  him  to  listen  to  his  stories  and  to 
enjoy  his  droll  humor.  I  was  struck  with  the  man's 
appearance  at  first  sight  and  at  once  concluded  that, 
unless  I  was  much  deceived  in  him,  he  was  a  man 
whom  I  could  use  to  good  advantage,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  ascertain  who  he  was  and  where  he  belonged. 

Turning  to  a  soldier  at  my  side,  I  inquired  the 
man's  name.  Looking  at  me  as  though  surprised  at 
my  ignorance,  he  answered : . 

"  Why,  that's  '  Stuttering  Dave,'  the  drollest, 
smartest  man  in  this  regiment,  and  one  of  the  best 
fellows  you  ever  met." 

"  What  regiment  does  he  belong  to  T  I  asked. 

"To  the  Twenty-first  New  York,"  said  the  soldier, 
"  but  ever  since  I  have  known  him,  he  has  been  with 
a  scouting  party.  He  used  to  live  in  Virginia  be- 
fore the  war,  and  is  well  acquainted  about  here." 

That  day  I  called  upon  the  Colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment to  which  the  man  belonged,  and  informed  him 
of  my  wishes,  which,  if  agreeable  to  him,  I  would  ask 
him  to  send  "  Stuttering  Dave  "  to  my  quarters. 

Shortly  after  sundown  he  came,  and  to  my  as- 
tonishment, I  found  that  his  stuttering  propensity 
had  entirely  disappeared,  and  that  he  conversed  with 
me  with  surprising  ease  and  intelligence,  and  a  quiet 
earnestness  that  betokened  a  solid  and  well-informed 
man.  The  fact  was  that  stuttering  with  him  was 
only  a  favorite  amusement,  and  so  naturally  was  it 


406  A     MAN     WHO     STUTTERED 

simulated,  that  no  one  would  suspect  he  was  sham- 
ming or  that  he  was  anything  else  but  a  confirmed 
stutterer  of  the  most  incorrigible  type.  In  the  inter- 
view which  followed  he  signified  his  willingness  to 
enter  the  secret  service,  and  a  day  or  two  later  he 
was  detailed  to  my  force.  Here  he  served  with  such 
ability  and  credit  that  he  was  shortly  discharged  from 
his  regiment  altogether,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  war 
was  one  of  my  most  faithful  and  valued  operatives. 

A  few  days  after  this  interview,  David  Graham, 
for  that  was  his  real  name,  otherwise  known  as 
"  Stuttering  Dave,"  set  out  under  my  instructions,  on 
a  trip  within  the  rebel  lines.  As  he  was  about  leav- 
ing my  tent,  he  shook  hands  with  me,  and  said  in  his 
dry  manner  : 

"  G-g-go-good-by,  M-m-m-major,  I'm  g-g-g-oin  to 
have  s-s-some  fun  before  I  g-g-get  home,  if  I  d-d-don't 
I'm  ag-g-goat,  that's  all." 

Cautioning  him  against  allowing  his  propensity 
for  "fun"  to  get  him  into  trouble,  I  accompanied  him 
to  the  edge  of  the  camp,  and  saw  him  set  out  in  the 
direction  of  the  Confederate  forces. 

Graham  had  adopted  the  disguise  of  a  peddler  of 
notions,  and  carried  in  his  pack  a  goodly  supply  of  but- 
tons, needles,  thread,  pins  and  such  a  trifling  articles 
as  he  knew  would  be  in  great  demand  by  the  soldiers. 
Discarding  his  uniform,  and  dressed  in  a  suit  of  but- 
ternut jean,  with  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  a  stout  stick, 
and  a  pack  across  his  shoulder,  he  appeared  a  verita- 


AND     "HAD    FITS."  407 

ble  tramping  peddler.  No  one,  to  have  seen  him,  • 
would  have  imagined  that  he  was  an  emissary  of 
the  secret  service,  and  they  would  little  have  sus- 
pected that  the  stuttering,  harmless-looking  fellow  who 
was  hawking  his  wares,  knew  aught  about  military 
affairs,  or  the  plans  and  movements  of  an  army. 

It  was  in  the  fast  deepening  twilight  of  a  beauti- 
ful evening,  and  but  a  few  days  after  he  had  left  the 
Union  lines,  that  a  party  of  rebel  soldiers,  weary  and 
hungry  with  the  toilsome  march  of  the  day,  were  rest- 
ing around  a  camp-fire,  engaged  in  the  preparations 
of  their  evening  meal. 

While  thus  employed,  they  were  approached  by  a 
strange-looking  individual,  who  walked  right  into 
their  midst,  and  without,  ceremony,  flung  down  his 
pack  and  seated  himself  among  them. 

"  B-b-boys,"  said  he,  "I'm  most  d-d-darned  hungry, 
w-w-w-what  do  you  s-s-say  to  givin'  me  a  b-b-b-bite  to 
eat ;  d-d-dang  my  buttons,  I'm  willin*  to  p-p-pay  for  it 
in  t-t-trade  or  cash." 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  get  inside  the  camp  ?"  in- 
quired one,  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of  the  mess. 

"  F-f-f-followed  my  legs,  and  they  b-b-b-brought  me 
right  in,"  replied  Stuttering  Dave,  as  he  coolly  pro- 
duced a  short-stemmed,  dirty-looking  pipe,  which  he 
deliberately  filled,  and  then  lighted  with  a  coal  from 
the  glowing  embers  at  his  feet. 

"What  have  you  got  to  sell?"  asked  a  soldier  at 
his  side. 


4o8  A     MAN     WHO     STUTTERED 

"  O,  n-n-needles,  p-p-pins,  thread,  b-b-buttons  and 
n-n-notions." 

"  Did  you  come  from  the  Yanks?"  now  asked  the 
man  who  had  first  addressed  him. 

"  D-d-d-am  the  Yanks !"  ejaculated  Dave,  "  I 
d-d-don't  know  anything  about  'em.  Ain't  them  your 
s-s-sentiments  ?"  he  added,  nudging  the  fellow  who 
sat  nearest  to  him. 

His  companion  evidently  did  not  relish  this  sly 
poke,  for  he  growled  : 

"  I,  for  one,  am  gettin'  most  thunderin'  tired  of 
runnin'  around  the  country,  and  nothin'  would  suit  me 
better  than  for  us  to  stop  long  enough  to  giv1  'em  a 
good  lickin'."  « 

"  You  l-licked  'em  like  the  d-d-devil  at  Williams- 
burgh,  d-d-d-didn't  you  ?"  said  Dave. 

The  fellow  looked  at  him  in  surprise,  but  failed  to 
detect  any  evidence  of  an  intended  sarcasm  in  the  im- 
movable gravity  of  his  face,  so  mentally  concluding 
that  the  peddler  was  a  fool  and  one  of  nature's  own 
at  that,  he  dropped  the  conversation. 

By  this  time  the  meal  was  ready,  and  Dave,  being 
invited  to  join  them,  gladly  assented,  and  fell  to  with 
an  appetite  that  showed  how  thoroughly  he  enjoyed 
the  repast.  Supper  over,  the  party  spent  the  even- 
ing in  chatting  and  telling  yarns.  The  detective 
opened  his  pack,  and  displaying  his  goods,  soon  dis- 
posed of  quite  a  large  quantity,  in  return  for  which  . 
he  demanded,  and  would  take,  nothing  but  silver  or 


AND     "HAD    FITS."  409 

gold.  When  "  taps  "  were  called,  he  turned  in  with 
the  party,  and  placing  his  pack  under  his  head  for  a 
pillow,  he  soon  slept  soundly,  until  reveille  in  the 
early  morning  aroused  him  from  his  slumbers. 

Having  eaten  his  breakfast,  he  sauntered  through 
the  camp,  taking  keen  notice  of  the  number  of  troops, 
and  finding  out  all  he  could  concerning  their  intended 
plans  and»  movements.  During  the  day,  he  did  a 
thriving  business  with  his  small  stock  of  notions,  and 
was  everywhere  followed  by  a  crowd,  who  were  at- 
tracted by  his  droll  humor  and  witty  sayings. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  and  while  he  was  driv- 
ing some  lively  bargains  with  the  soldiers  that  were 
gathered  around  him,  he  was  approached  by  an 
officer,  who  slapped  him  familiarly  on  the  shoulder 
and.  exclaimed  : 

"  Here,  my  good  fellow,  we  can  use  men  like  you  ; 
hadn't  you  better  enlist  with  us  ?  You  can  do  your 
country  a  great  deal  more  good  than  you  are  doing, 
tramping  around  the  country  selling  needles  and 
pins." 

The  detective  turned  around,  and  seeing  who  it 
was  addressing  him,  replied  : 

"  C-Captain,  I  d-d-don't  think  you  would  want 
me  ;  I  t-t-tried  t-to  enlist  s-s-s-sometime  ago,  b-b-b-but 
the  d-d-doctor  said,  m-myf-f-fits  and  stuttering  b-b-be- 
ing  so  b-b-bad,  he  c-c-couldn't  p-p-pass  me." 

"  Are  you  subject  to  fits  ?"  the  officer  now  asked, 
as  a  sympathetic  look  came  over  his  face.  • 


410  A     MAN     WHO    STUTTERED 

"  Had  'em  ever  s-s-since  I  was  t-t-ten  years  old," 
replied  Dave,  "  have  'em  every  f-f-full  of  the 
m-m-moon." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?"  interrupted  the  officer. 

"On  t-t-the  other  s-s-side  of  the  river,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  They  c-c-call  me  St-st-stuttering  Dave,"  replied 
the  detective,  with  an  idiotic  grin. 

The  officer  now  turned  and  walked  away,  feeling 
no  longer  any  interest  in  the  fellow,  except  to  pity  his 
condition  ;  and  thoroughly  satisfied  that  there  was  no 
harm  in  him,  and  that  he  was  utterly  unfit  for  a  soldier. 

Well  pleased  to  have  shaken  off  the  curious  officer 
as  easily  as  he  had,  Dave  now  turned  again  to  the 
soldiers  and  resumed  his  occupation  of  dickering  with 
the  crowd  about  him  ;  having  concluded  his  business 
here,  he  ambled  off  to  another  part  of  the  grounds 
where  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition  was  stored  in 
the  wagons. 

Instantly,  an  idea  occurred  to  him  which  he  re- 
solved to  carry  out  if  possible.  It  was  to  undertake 
the  dangerous  feat  of  firing  the  ammunition,  and 
depriving  his  enemies  of  that  much  destructive  mate- 
rial at  all  events.  He  lost  all  interest  in  disposing  of 
his  goods  for  a  time,  and  proceeded  to  make  a  care- 
ful examination  of  the  grounds  about  the  wagons, 
and  formed  his  plans  for  carrying  out  his  project  that 
very  night. 


AND     "HAD    FITS"  411 

He  soon  decided  that  by  laying  a  train  of  powder 
from  the  wagons  and  running  it  to  a  safe  distance,  he 
could  readily  set  fire  to  it,  and  make  his  escape  in  the 
confusion  that  would  follow.  At  midnight,  therefore, 
he  stole  around  to  the  wagons  and  quietly  com- 
menced his  work.  •  He  had  taken  the  precaution  that 
afternoon,  to  supply  himself  with  a  quantity  of  pow- 
der fuses,  by  rolling  the  powder  up  loosely  in  long 
strips  of  rags. 

Placing  these  in  position  to  connect  with  the  am- 
munition in  the  wagons,  and  laying  his  train  from  one 
to  another,  the  next  thing  was  to  lay  a  long  train, 
that  would  enable  him  after  firing  it  to  get  out  of 
harm's  way  before  the  explosion  occurred.  Having 
completed  his  arrangements,  he  now  took  himself  off, 
to  wait  until  the  whole  camp  should  be  quietly  wrap- 
ped in  slumber,  before  he  started  his  "  fireworks,"  as  he 
called  them. 

About  midnight,  had  the  sentinel  on  guard  at 
the  wagons  containing  the  ammunition  been  awake, 
and  looking  sharply  about  him,  instead  of  dozing  at 
his  post,  he  might  have  observed  a  man  stealthily 
steal  up  to  the  stores,  and  silently  and  quickly 
disappear  into  the  woods  beyond.  Fortunately,  how- 
ever, for  our  friend,  and  the  enterprise  he  had  on 
hand,  he  only  snored  quietly  and  peacefully  against  a 
neighboring  tree,  little  dreaming  of  the  surprise  that 
was  in  store  for  him. 

A  few  minutes  later,  a  long,  quick  flash  of  light 


4i2  A    MAN     WHO     STUTTERED 

darted  along  the  ground,  which  was  immediately 
followed  by  a  loud,  stunning  report,  and  the  murky 
darkness  was  illumined  with  a  brilliant,  flaming  light, 
and  great  volumes  of  smoke. 

Instantly  the  entire  camp  was  aroused,  and  the 
half-dressed  and  fully-frightened  soldiers  came  rush- 
ing to  the  scene,  which  was  now  only  a  scattered  pile 
of  burning  ruins.  How  it  occurred,  no  one  knew,  or 
could  tell  aught  about  it,  and  wild  conjectures  were 
freely  indulged  in  as  to  the  probable  cause  of  the 
disaster.  In  the  meantime,  the  only  man  in  the 
world  who  could  tell  anything  about  the  affair,  was 
traveling  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  in  the 
direction  of  the  Union  camp. 

In  a  few  days  he  made  his  appearance  at  my  head- 
quarters, and  related  the  success  of  his  journey.  I 
could  not  refrain  from  laughing  heartily  at  his 
peculiar  and  independent  system  of  warfare,  but 
advised  him  to  be  more  careful  in  the  future  as  to 
how  he  tampered  with  the  stores  of  the  enemy. 

I  was  not  disappointed  as  to  the  ability  of  the 
man,  however,  and  for  months  he  served  me  faithfully 
and  well,  needing  but  little  instruction,  and  always 
performing  his  work  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
every  one.  He  at  times  adopted  various  disguises, 
but  generally  depended  upon  his  own  natural  shrewd- 
ness, and  his  natural  adaptiveness  fof  the  role  of  an 
itinerant  peddler  to  carry  him  through  successfully. 

He  was  always  fortunate  in  his  trips,  and,  so  far* 


AND    "HAD    FITS"  413 

as  I  knew,  his  identity  was  never  discovered,  and  in 
the  peddler  who  stuttered  and  "sometimes  had  fits," 
the  rebels  never  recognized  an  emissary  of  the  Secret 
Service. 


SHOT    BY    A    CANNON-BALL. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Another  Trip  to  Richmond. — A  Rebel  General  Taken  In. — 
Curtis  Makes  Valuable  Acquaintances. — "The  Subter* 
ranean  Headquarters" 

EARLY  in  1862,  it  becoming  necessary  to  obtain 
more  fully  the  plans   and  intentions   of   the 
enemy,  and  their  numbers  around  Richmond,    I    in 
April  of  that  year  dispatched  one  of  my  keenest  and 
shrewdest  operatives  on  this  important  mission. 

The  man  selected  for  this  delicate  and  dangerous 
work  was  George  Curtis,  a  young  man  about  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  tall,  well-formed,  with  dark  com- 
plexion, clear  gray  eyes,  and  possessing  handsome, 
intelligent  features.  He  was  one  of  those  men  rarely 
met,  who  was  by  nature  a  detective ;  cool-headed, 
brave  and  determined,  with  ready  wit  and  sagacious 
mind,  he  was  especially  qualified  for  efficient  work  in 
that  important  branch,  the  secret  service. 

He  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  had  at  the 
opening  of  the  war  enlisted  in  an  infantry  regiment 
from  that  State. 

Learning  of  his  desire  to  enter  the  secret  service, 
I  had  procured  his  discharge  from  his  regiment,  and 
he  was  detailed  on   my  force,  where  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war. 
[414] 


A     REBEL     GENERAL     TAKEN    IN.          415 

It  was  a  beautiful  April  morning  when,  with  his 
instructions  carefully  treasured  in  memory,  for  he 
dared  take  no  written  ones,  he  left  my  office  on  "  I  " 
street,  in  Washington,  and  set  out  on  his  perilous  trip. 

I  had  previously  made  arrangements  that  he 
should  accompany  General  McClellan  down  the  river 
on  his  boat,  the  "  Commodore,"  and  on  which  he  had 
established  his  headquarters,  to  Fortress  Monroe, 
and  landing  there,  make  his  way  to  Richmond. 

The  morning  of  the  first,  hi*  left  Washington,  and 
the  next  day  he  arrived  at  Old  Point  Comfort,  and 
landed  under  the  frowning  walls  of  the  old  fort.  He 
remained  here  until  the  morning  of  the  second  day 
after  his  arrival,  where  he  was  provided  with  a  horse, 
and  set  across  the  river  and  proceeded  on  his  way 
towards  the  rebel  capital. 

He  had  now  a  journey  of  near  seventy  miles 
before  him,  through  a  country  filled  with  enemies  to 
the  cause  he  espoused,  and  from  whom,  should  his 
true  character  and.  mission  become  known,  he  might 
expect  anything  but  kind  treatment  at  their  hands. 
His  object  in  crossing  the  James  at  this  point  was 
to  place  himself  in  less  danger  from  suspicion  as  a 
spy,  and  to  better  enable  him  to  learn  the  sentiment 
of  the  people,  as  well  as  to  gain  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  condition  of  the  country  as  to  roads,  bridges, 
streams,  etc.,  all  of  which  information  is  of  essential 
importance  for  the  General  of  an  invading  army  to 
know. 


4i  6  A     REBEL     GENERAL 

He,  therefore,  on  horseback,  and  apparently  as  a 
man  traveling  for  pleasure  and  recreation,  proceeded 
on  his  way  up  the  valley  of  the  river  and  towards  the 
objective  point  of  his  journey,  the  rebel  capital. 

Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  during  the  day  ; 
he  stopped  at  noon  at  a  house  by  the  wayside,  and 
obtained  dinner  for  himself  and  horse.  In  a  conver- 
sation with  his  host,  who  was  a  well-to-do  old  farmer, 
he  apparently  in  a  careless  manner  betrayed  the  fact 
that  he  himself  followed  the  same  occupation,  that  he 
lived  on  the  river  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  below, 
and  was  on  his  way  to  visit  among  friends  at  Peters- 
burgh. 

It  was  towards  evening  that  he  neared  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city,  when  he  suddenly  encountered  the 
rebel  pickets,  stationed  outside  the  town,  who  halted 
him  and  demanded  to  know  his  name  and  business. 
"  My  name  is  Curtis,"  replied  the  operative,  "  and  I 
am  from  Norfolk ;  my  business  I  will  state  to  ynur 
commander  when  I  am  taken  to  him." 

Without  further  ceremony  he  was  turned  over 
to  the  officer  of  the  guard,  who  sent  him  under  escort 
to  General  Hill,  the  general  in  command. 

"  Whom  have  you  here  ?"  queried  the  General,  as 
in  the  company  of  his  escort  the  detective  was  kd 
into  his  presence. 

"  A  man  who  says  he  is  from  Norfolk,"  replied 
the  guard,  "  but  who  refuses  to  tell  his  business  tr 
any  one  but  yourself." 


TAKEN    IN.  417 

"  You  may  retire,"  said  the  General,  and  the 
escort  immediately  left  the  room.  "  Now,"  he  ex- 
claimed, turning  to  Curtis,  "  What  is  your  business  ? 
Please  be  as  brief  as  possible,  as  I  am  very  busy." 

"  Well,  to  come  to  the  point  at  once,"  replied  the 
detective  ;  "  in  the  first  place,  then,  I  spoke  falsely  to 
your  pickets  when  I  told  them  I  was  from  Norfolk. 
My  name  is  Curtis,  and  I  am  from  Washington.  As 
to  my  business,  I  deal  in  what  the  Yankees  are  pleased 
to  term  contraband  goods  ;  yet  I  don't  see  how  gun- 
caps,  ammunition  of  all  kinds,  and  quinine  should  be 
considered  contraband,  for  the  simple  reason  that  I, 
as  a  dealer,  find  a  better  market  South  than  North 
for  my  goods.  My  desire,"  he  continued,  "  is  to  get 
through  to  Richmond,  where  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
effect  contracts,  with  Secre-tary  Benjamin,  to  furnish 
my  goods  to  the  Confederate  government." 

"  How  did  you  get  through  the  Union  lines  ?" 
asked  the  General,  still,  evidently,  a  little  suspicious 
of  the  sincerity  of  the  detective's  story. 

"  I  came  down  on  the  '  Commodore,'  General  Mc- 
Clellan's  boat,  three  days  ago,"  he  answered,  "  was  set 
across  the  river  there,  procured  a  horse  from  a  friend, 
and  here  I  am." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  McClellan's  plans  for 
an  advance  ?"  asked  the  General. 

"  I  can  tell  you  nothing  about  them,"  answered 
Curtis,  "as  everything  is  kept  secret  from  even  his 
own  staff,  I  am  told." 
27 


418  A    REBEL     GENERAL 

The  General  mused,  thoughtfully,  a  moment,  and 
then  said :  "  I  will  give  you  a  pass  to  Richmond,  and 
you  can  proceed  on  your  way  in  the  morning." 

"  Thank  you,  General,"  exclaimed  the  detective, 
"  I  assure  you  the  cause  shall  suffer  no  loss  by  any 
efforts  of  mine.  I  shall,  in  all  probability,  return  by 
this  way,  in  a  few  weeks  at  farthest,  when,  if  I  can 
be  of  any  service  to  you,  you  have  only  to  command 
me." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  the  General,  "  I  have  some 
letters  to  parties  in  Richmond,  which  ought  to  go  at 
once.  If  you  will  do  me  the  favor  to  deliver  them 
I  shall  be  obliged  to  you." 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  serve  you,  General,  and  will 
take  pleasure  in  seeing  that  your  letters  reach  their 
destination  all  right." 

"  Very  well,  then ;  call  at  my  quarters  in  the 
morning,  before  you  start,  and  I  will  have  them  ready 
for  you,  and  will  give  you  also  your  pass  to  Rich- 
mond." 

Curtis  thanked  him  again,  and,  bidding  him  good- 
night, repaired  to  the  hotel,  and  secured  for  himself 
and  horse  supper  and  lodging  for  the  night. 

After  he  had  partaken  of  a  hearty  meal,  and  pro- 
vided himself  with  an  excellent  cigar,  he  sauntered 
out  on  to  the  veranda  of  the  hotel,  and,  taking  a 
comfortable  seat,  prepared  to  enjoy  his  fragrant  weed, 
and  amuse  himself  with  listening  to  the  conversation 
of  those  around  him. 


TAKEN    IN.  419 

He  soon  discovered  that  the  war,  and  the  pros- 
pects for  a  speedy  victory  for  the  South,  were  the 
subjects  under  discussion,  and  he  listened  with  much 
interest  to  the  ideas  advanced,  and  the  confidence 
that  marked  their  assertions  of  the  superiority  of  the 
Southern  troops  over  the  Northern  mudsills,  as  they 
termed  the  Federalists. 

"You  may  depend  on  it,  that  General  Johnson 
will  not  permit  the  Yanks  to  approach  any  closer  to 
Richmond  than  they  now  are,  without  contesting 
every  inch  of  the  ground  as  they  advance,"  remarked 
one  gentleman  of  the  party  near  which  he  was 
sitting. 

"  No,"  emphatically  rejoined  another,  "  when  they 
take  Richmond,  it  will  be  when  they  have  annihilated 
the  Southern  people,  when  not  a  thousand  able- 
bodied  men  are  left  on  Southern  soil  to  rally  to  its 
defense." 

"  Well,  I  am  satisfied,"  remarked  another,  "  that 
right  here  is  to  be  the  contest,  that  is  to  decide  this 
matter  one  way  or  the  other." 

"  If  the  Yankees  take  Richmond,  the  South  may  as 
well  surrender  at  once  ;  if  however  they  fail,  as  they 
are  extremely  liable  to  do,  they,  on  the  other  hand, 
may  as  well  withdraw  their  forces  and  acknowledge 
our  independence." 

"  If  I  am  not  greatly  mistaken,"  now  ventured  my 
operative,  "  in  the  spirit  of  the  Southern  people, 
they  will,  to  use  a  common  phrase,  '  fight  to  the  bitter 


420  A    REBEL     GENERAL 

end.'  And  yet,"  he  continued,  "to  the  thoughtful  ob- 
server, it  is  not  pleasant  to  contemplate  the  spectacle 
of  brother  arrayed  against  brother,  as  they  are  in  this 
war.  I  tell  you,  gentlemen,"  he  added,  "  that  while 
I  am  a  Southern  man,  it  grieves  me  to  see  our  land 
so  rent  with  strife  and  bloodshed  and  that  the  North 
has  made  it  necessary  for  a  resort  to  arms  to  settle  a 
matter  that  should  have  been  amicably  adjusted." 

At  this  juncture,  the  party  was  joined  by  a  new- 
comer, who  had  evidently  just  left  the  supper-room, 
as  he  carried  an  unlighted  cigar  in  one  hand,  while 
with  the  other  he  was  picking  his  teeth,  with  the 
manner  of  a  man  who  had  just  eaten  a  hearty  meal 
and  who  had  enjoyed  it. 

He  was  a  man  past  the  middle  age,  hair  gener- 
ously sprinkled  with  gray,  and  with  a  face,  that  while 
bronzed  by  exposure  to  the  weather,  was  keenly  in- 
telligent, not  unhandsome,  and  strongly  expres- 
sive of  force  and  decision  of  character.  He  seated 
himself  and  soon  joined  in  the  conversation,  with 
that  freedom  and  nonchalance  that  characterizes 
the  experienced  yet  courteous  traveler,  who  has  seen 
the  world  and  is  familiar  with  its  ways. 

"  We  shall  hear  of  some  pretty  hard  fighting, 
shortly,  I  imagine,"  finally  observed  the  stranger; 
"  McClellan  has  arrived  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  will 
no  doubt  commence  hostilities  at  once." 

"  And  we  shall  also  hear  of  his  army  getting  badly 
whipped,"  put  in  one  of  the  party. 


TAKEN    IN.  42I 

"  Well,"  rejoined  the  stranger,  "  that  may  be  true ; 
but,  after  all,  the  real  contest  will  be  before  Rich- 
mond ;  the  fighting  that  may  occur  now,  will  only  be 
the  strategic  moves  preceding  the  final  struggle. 
Lee  and  Johnson,"  he  continued,  "are  not  yet  ready 
for  McClellan  to  advance  upon  Richmond,  and  they 
will  see  to  it  that  it  is  put  in  the  best  possible  condi- 
tion of  defense  before  he  succeeds  in  reaching  it." 

At  this,  my  operative,  who  had  taken  little  part 
in  the  conversation,  except  as  an  attentive  listener, 
now  arose  and  laughingly  said  :  "  Gentlemen,  I  guess 
we  are  all  of  one  mind  on  this  subject,  let's  adjourn 
down  below  and  interview  the  bar-keeper  ;  I  don't 
profess  to  be  a  judge  of  military  matters,  but  when  it 
comes  to  a  good  article  of  whisky,  I  claim  to  be 
posted." 

The  party,  numbering  near  a  dozen  gentlemen 
about  him,  good-humoredly  took  the  interruption  and 
laughingly  followed  the  detective,  who  now  led  the 
way  to  the  bar-room. 

They  filled  glasses  all  around  and  Curtis  proposed 
the  rather  ambiguous  toast,  "May  the  right  prevail, 
and  death  and  confusion,  attend  its  enemies" — am- 
biguous in  that  it  as  much  represented  his  real 
sentiments  as  it  also  met  the  approval  of  his  seces- 

,  sion  friends. 
( 

After  the  party  had  drank,  they  separated,  agree- 
ing to  meet  later  in  the  evening  ;  Curtis  was  himself 
starting  for  a  stroll  about  the  town,  when  the 


422  A    REBEL     GENERAL 

stranger,  who  had  last  joined  the  party  on  the 
veranda  approached  him  and  said  :  "  I  have  just 
drank  the  toast  you  proposed,  and  judging  from  it 
and  your  conversation  up  stairs,  I  take  you  to  be,  at 
least,  a  friend  to  the  South,  if  indeed  you  are  not  a 
Southern  man.  I  should  like  much  to  have  your 
company  for  a  short  stroll  about  the  city ;  my  name," 
he  added,  "is  Leroy,  and  I  hail  from  Baltimore." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  accompany  you,  Mr.  Leroy," 
said  my  operative,  heartily:  "I  was  just  thinking  of 
going  for  a  walk  alone,  but  I  assure  you  I  shall  be 
only  too  glad  to  have  a  companion.  And  since  you 
have  so  kindly  told  me  your  name,  I  may  as  well  tell 
you,  that  mine  is  George  Curtis,  and  I  am  from 
Washington.  But  before  we  start,"  he  added,  "  let  us 
have  a  fresh  cigar." 

He  then  ordered  the  cigars  and  they  started  for 
their  walk. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far,  before  his  new  com- 
panion revealed  the  fact,  that  he  also  was  in  the  con- 
traband trade,  and  singularly  enough,  was  on  his  way 
to  Richmond  on  precisely  the  same  business  my 
operative  had  represented  himself  as  engaged.  Of 
course,  Curtis  reciprocated  the  confidence  of  his  new- 
found friend,  and  with  such  results,  that  he  not  only  re- 
turned from  his  walk  much  better  posted  on  how  to 
get  goods  through  to  Richmond,  but  actually  returned 
a  partner  in  an  enterprize  to  furnish  their  goods  in, 
large  quantities  to  the  Confederate  government,  pro- 


TAKEN    IN.  423 

vided  they  could  succeed  in  making  satisfactory  ar- 
rangements with  Mr.  Ben-jamin,  the  Secretary  of 
War.  They  returned  to  the  hotel,  where  they  had  a 
long  talk,  completing  their  plans.  It  was  arranged 
that  my  operative  should  leave  his  horse  at  Peters- 
burg, and  in  the  morning,  they  would  proceed  on  their 
way  to  Richmond  by  rail. 

On  the  following  morning  he  arose  early,  and 
after  breakfast,  proceeded  to  call  on  General  Hill 
at  his  quarters  and  obtained  his  pass,  also  the  letters 
he  was  to  carry  for  him  to  parties  in  Richmond. 
They  then  took  a  train  for  the  rebel  capital,  and  by 
noon  found  themselves  in  that  city. 

The  day  following  his  arrival,  in  company  with 
Leroy,  he  called  on  Mr.  Benjamin  and  succeeded  in 
closing  contracts  to  furnish  large  quantities  of  their 
goods  to  his  government,  and  at  prices  that  were 
highly  satisfactory  to  Mr.  Leroy,  who  jovially  re- 
marked, as  they  left  the  Secretary's  presence,  that 
if  they  only  had  good  luck,  their  fortunes  were  made. 
Curtis,  however,  felt  highly  gratified  over  the  result 
of  the  interview,  more  from  the  reflection  of  the  aid 
it  would  give  Lim  in  prosecuting  the  real  object  of 
his  visit,  than  from  any  financial  benefit  he  expected 
to  derive  from  it.  He  had  received  a  pass  from  the 
Secretary  that  would  enable  him  to  pass  in  and  out  of 
Richmond  at  his  pleasure,  a  most  important  privilege,, 
and  one  that  really  removed  all  practical  hindrances., 
and  left  him  free  to  more  fully  accomplish  his  work. 


424  A    REBEL     GENERAL 

He  had  not  been  in  the  city  a  week  before  he 
discovered  that  through  some  source,  the  rebels  had 
almost  daily  news  from  the  front,  concerning  the 
movements  and  plans  of  the  Union  troops.  This  he 
now  determined  to  ferret  out,  and  the  next  day,  he  in 
a  careless  manner,  inquired  of  his  friend  Leroy,  how 
it  was,  they  obtained  news  so  promptly  from  the  front. 

"  Why,"  replied  his  friend,  laughingly,  "  haven't 
you  heard  of  the  subterranean  headquarters  ?" 

"  I  confess  I  have  not,"  replied  the  detective. 

"  Then  come  along  with  me,"  said  Leroy.  "  I 
ought  to  have  told  you  about  this  before,  as  it  is 
intimately  connected  with  our  business." 

He  then  led  the  way  to  the  very  hotel  at  which  they 
were  stopping,  and  conducted  Curtis  to  a  large  and 
elegantly  furnished  room  on  the  third  floor,  and  in 
which  were  seated  a  number  of  gentlemen — some 
reading,  while  others  were  engaged  in  writing  at  little 
tables  that  were  ranged  about  the  room. 

"  Here,"  said  he,  laughing,  "are  the  subterranean 
headquarters,  although  they  are  above  the  top  of  the 
ground  instead  of  beneath  ir.  I  need  not  tell  you," 
he  added,  "  that  the  name  is  given  as  much  to  mis- 
lead as  for  any  other  purpose." 

They  then  took  seats  at  one  end  of  the  room 
where  they  were  alone,  and  he  proceeded  with  his 
explanation  : 

"First,"  he  said,  "you  must  know  that  this  is  a 
bureau  of  intelligence,  and  is  managed  partly  by  the 


TAKEN    IN.  425 

government  and  partly  by  wealthy  merchants  here 
and  at  Baltimore  ;  besides  being  used  in  getting  in- 
formation concerning  the  movements  of  the  Federal 
troops,  it  is  also  used  by  the  merchants  in  getting  our 
goods  through  from  Baltimore.  We  employ,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  nearly  fifty  persons,  some  of  whom  are 
constantly  in  the  field  carrying  dispatches,  gaining 
and  bringing  in  information  from  the  Yankee  lines. 
These  persons  are  all  under  the  control  of  a  chief  at 
their  head,  and  are  all  known  to  that  man  yonder," 
pointing  to  a  gentleman  seated  at  a  desk  at  the  oppo- 
site end  of  the  room. 

"  Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,"  he  continued, 
"  right  here  in  this  hotel,  we  have  the  most  exclusive 
privacy.  You  noticed  that  man  standing  in  the  hall 
when  we  came  in,  the  same  one  now  sitting  at  the 
desk?" 

Curtis  nodded,  and  he  proceeded :  "  Well,  he 
knew  me,  and  consequently  he  knew  you  were  all 
right.  Had  you  come  alone,  that  door  would  have 
been  closed,  and  would  not  have  opened,  had  you 
tried  it.  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  will  call  him  here  and  in- 
troduce you." 

Touching  a  small  bell  that  stood  on  the  table,  the 
gentleman,  to  whom  he  had  alluded,  instantly  an- 
swered its  summons  and  crossed  the  room  to  where 
they  were  sitting. 

"  Mr.  Wallace,"  said  Leroy,  "  this  is  my  friend 
and  partner,  Mr.  Curtis."  The  two  men  bowed  and 


426  A    REBEL    GENERAL 

shook  hands,  and  Wallace  seating  himself  proved  to 
be  a  pleasant  and  well-informed  gentleman. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  Leroy  asked, 
"  What  is  the  latest  news  from  the  front,  Mr. 
Wallace  ?" 

"  We  have  nothing  as  yet  to-day,"  he  answered, 
"  but  yesterday  it  was  reported  that  McClellan  had 
laid  siege  to  Yorktown  ;  the  chances  are,  that  we 
shall  hear  of  a  battle,  in  a  few  days  at  farthest." 
During  the  interview,  Curtis  learned  also,  that  the 
persons  operating  for  this  bureau  had  confederates, 
both  at  Baltimore  and  at  Washington ;  these,  he 
determined  to  discover,  if  possible,  in  addition  to  the 
information  already  gained. 

To  this  end,  he  made  himself  very  agreeable  to 
Mr.  Wallace,  and  in  the  course  of  the  conversation, 
expressed  his  willingness  to  do  what  he  could  in  aid- 
ing the  force,  and  remarked  that  he  should  be  passing 
back  and  forth,  between  Washington  and  Richmond, 
and  could  doubtless  be  of  service. 

Mr.  Wallace  thanked  him  heartily,  and  gave  him 
a  small  plain  badge  of  peculiar  shape,  that  would  at 
any  time,  if  shown,  admit  him  to  the  headquarters, 
and  then  taking  him  about  the  room,  he  introduced 
him  to  the  gentlemen  present,  and  after  a  short  con- 
versation with  his  new  friends,  he  in  company  with 
Leroy  took  his  departure,  and  together  they  went 
down  to  dinner. 

That  evening,  as  he  was  sitting  in  the  bar-room 


TAKEN    IN.  427 

of  the  hotel,  one  of  the  men  he  had  met  up-stairs  in 
the  forenoon,  came  to  him  and  told  him  that  in  a  day 
or  two,  he  was  to  start  for  Yorktown  with  important 
dispatches  for  General  Magruder,  but  that  owing,  to 
sickness  in  his  family,  he  did  not  want  to  leave  home, 
unless  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  get  some  one  he 
could  trust  to  undertake  the  task  for  him. 

He  then  asked  Curtis  if  he  would  object  to  mak- 
ing the  trip  for  him.  The  detective  thought  a  mo- 
ment, and  told  him  he  would  give  him  an  answer  in 
the  morning.  The  two  men  then  indulged  in  a 
friendly  glass,  after  which  they  separated.  The  man 
had  no  sooner  gone,  than  Curtis  made  up  his  mind  to 
take  the  dispatches,  not  to  General  Magruder,  but  to 
me  at  Washington. 

Accordingly,  the  next  morning  he  informed  his 
friend  he  would  undertake  the  task  for  him,  as  he 
intended  returning  to  Baltimore  at  any  rate. 

The  next  morning  found  him,  with  the  dispatches 
carefully  secreted  about  his  person,  at  the  depot, 
ready  to  take  the  first  train  for  Petersburgh. 

Here  he  arrived  about  noon,  and  proceeded  to 
call  on  General  Hill.  After  procuring  his  dinner  at 
the  hotel,  he  ordered  his  horse  and  started  on  his 
long  ride  for  the  Union  camp,  where  he  delivered  his 
dispatches  to  Mr.  Bangs,  the  superintendent  of  my 
headquarters  in  the  field,  and  forwarded  copies  of  the 
same  to  me  at  Washington,  together  with  a  full 
account  of  his  trip  and  information  he  had  gained  ; 


428 


A    REBEL     GENERAL     TAKEN    IN. 


not  forgetting  a  full  statement  of  his  discovery  of  the 
"  Subterranean  Headquarters,"  and  his  enlistment  as 
a  member  of  its  force  of  spies  and  agents,  employed 
in  transmitting  intelligence  of  the  movements  and 
plans  of  the  Union  troops. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  Virginia  Home. — Unwelcome  Visitors. — Mr.  Harcourt 
Arrested  and  Released. — Dan  McCowan  Makes  Forcible 
Love  to  Mary  Harcourt. —  The  Girl  in  Peril. — A  Timely 
Rescue. —  The  Villain  Punished. 

HP* HE  important  information  brought  to  my  notice 
JL  by  Operative  Curtis,  on  his  return  from  Rich- 
mond, concerning  the  character  and  working  of  the 
"Subterranean  Headquarters,"  at  once  determined 
me  on  a  plan  of  using  the  same  body  of  men,  or 
rather  the  information  they  carried,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Union  forces,  instead  of  allowing  them  to  use  it 
in  the  interests  of  the  Confederates.  To  accomplish 
this,  I  detailed  several  members  of  my  force,  both  at 
Washington  and  Baltimore,  to  co-operate  with  Curtis, 
whom  I  intended  now  should  become  an  active  agent 
of  the  rebels  in  carrying  dispatches  to  and  from 
Richmond.  The  plan  was,  in  short,  that  all  dis- 
patches entrusted  to  him  should  be  accurately  copied, 
the  copies  to  be  delivered  to  his  confederates,  and 
the  originals  forwarded  to  their  destination. 

In  war,  as  in  a  game  of  chess,  if  you  know  the 
moves  of  your  adversary  in  advance,  it  is  then  an 
easy  matter  to  shape  your  own  plans,  and  make  your 
moves  accordingly,  and,  of  course,  always  to  your 

[429] 


430  JWCOWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

own  decided  advantage.  So  in  this  case,  I  concluded 
that  if  the  information  intended  for  the  rebels  could 
first  be  had  by  us,  after  that,  they  were  welcome  to 
all  the  benefit  they  might  derive  from  them. 

In  a  few  days,  then,  having  completed  my  arrange- 
ments, Curtis  started  to  Richmond,  by  the  way  of 
Wilson's  Landing  and  Glendale,  he  having  decided 
that,  provided  as  he  was  with  his  pass  from  the 
Secretary,  it  would  be  perfectly  safe,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  much  shorter  route  than  by  the  way  of  Peters- 
burgh. 

Leaving  him  for  the  present,  then,  to  make  his 
way  to  Richmond  as  best  he  can,  we  will  turn  our 
attention  to  other  persons  and  to  other  scenes.  The 
interior  of  a  comfortable  farm-house,  the  place,  and 
early  evening  the  time. 

The  family  are  gathered  around  the  tea-table,  and 
are  discussing  earnestly  the  war,  and  the  chances  of 
the  success  of  the  Northern  troops.  The  family  con- 
sisted of  five  persons :  the  husband  and  wife,  both 
traveling  down  the  western  slope  of  life,  a  young  and 
beautiful  daughter,  apparently  about  twenty  years  of 
age,  and  two  younger  children,  a  boy  and  girl,  aged, 
respectively,  fourteen  and  twelve  years. 

These  latter  are  listening  attentively  to  the  con- 
versation going  on  about  them,  and  anon  interjecting 
some  childish  observation,  or  asking  some  question 
commensurate  with  the  quaint  views  and  ideas  of 
childish  years. 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  431 

"Well,"  finally  observed  the  old  gentleman,  "it 
is  hard  that  one  dare  not  speak  their  own  sentiments 
in  a  country  like  this  ;  my  grandfather  fought  in  the 
revolution,  my  father  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  I,  myself, 
took  a  hand  in  the  brush  with  Mexico  ;  but  I  never 
dreamed  of  seeing  the  day  when  a  man  dared  not 
speak  his  honest  convictions,  for  fear  of  having  his 
roof  burnt  from  over  his  head,  and,  worse  than  all, 
endanger  even  his  own  life,  and  those  dearest  to 
him." 

"  I  have  always  told  you,  William,"  replied  his 
good  wife,  "  that  the  day  would  come  when  this  fear- 
ful curse  of  slavery  would  have  to  be  wiped  out  in 
blood,  and  you  all  know  now  that  I  prophesied  truly. 
And,"  she  added,  "  as  for  me,  I  have  no  fears  for  the 
result.  Our  only  mistake  has  been  in  casting  our  lot 
and  settling  in  the  South,  and  in  the  very  presence 
of  an  evil  we  could  not  avert." 

"  True,  mother,"  rejoined  her  husband,  "  but  you 
know  I  have  ever  been  outspoken  against  slavery, 
and  its  attendant  curses.  I  also  flatter  myself  that  I 
have  had  some  influence  in  mitigating,  at  least,  the 
condition  of  not  a  few  of  the  black  race.  You  re- 
member Colonel  Singleton  liberated  his  slaves  at  the 
very  outset  of  this  war." 

"  And  was  compelled  to  flee  to  the  North  to  save 
his  own  life,"  answered  his  wife ;  "  and  had  we  been 
wise,  we  would  have  gone  to  a  country  more  conge- 
nial to  our  views,  and  while  we  could  have  done  so 


432  M'COWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

with  safety.  I  am  afraid,"  she  continued,  "  if  it  be- 
comes known  that  our  son  has  joined  the  Union  army, 
serious  trouble  may  befall  us  at  the  hands  of  men 
who  have  long  desired  an  excuse  for  arresting  you, 
and  confiscating  your  property  ;  if,  indeed,  they  would 
be  content  with  sparing  your  life." 

"  If  I  were  younger,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  I 
would  defy  them  to  do  their  worst ;  and,  as  it  is, 
my  only  fears  are  for  my  family,  not  for  myself. 
Still,"  he  added,  "  my  neighbors  are  all  friendly, 
and  the  majority  of  them,  though  thinking  differently 
from  me  on  these  questions,  are  under  obligations  to 
me,  so  that  I  feel  I  have  but  little  to  fear  at  their 
hands.  As  to  our  boy,  who  has  gone  to  fight  for 
the  old  flag,  I  am  proud  of  him ;  I  fought  for  it,  so 
did  my  fathers  before  me,  and  I  would  disown  the 
child  who  would  refuse,  if  necessary,  to  lay  down  his 
life  in  its  defense." 

And  here,  fired  with  the  sentiments  he  had  just 
uttered,  he  arose  from  the  table  in  an  agitated 
manner  and  began  to  pace  the  floor. 

"  Ah,"  he  continued,  "  I  love  that  old  flag,  and 
old  as  I  am,  would  fight  for  it  yet." 

Going  to  a  case  that  stood  in  a  corner  of  the  room, 
he  took  from  a  shelf  a  beautiful  silken  banner,  and 
holding  it  aloft,  he  exclaimed,  with  great  earnestness, 
"There  is  the  flag  I  fight  under — the  flag  of  the 
Union  and  of  the  country  our  fathers  fought  to  save." 

"  Father,"  exclaimed  his   eldest   daughter,    "  you 


LOVE     TO     MARY    HARCOURT.  433 

forget  yourself  in  your  enthusiasm  ;  even  now  some 
one  may  be  outside  listening ;  you  forget  that  Dan 
McCowan  and  his  desperate  gang  may  oe  in  the  vicin- 
ity and  give  us  a  call  at  any  moment," 

Scarcely  had  the  warning  fell  from  her  lips,  when 
there  came  a  loud  knocking  at  the  door,  followed  by 
a  few  vigorous  and  well-directed  blows  that  threatened 
to  take  it  from  its  hinges. 

The  whole  family  started  up  in  alarm,  and  while 
one  snatched  the  flag  from  the  old  gentleman  and 
hastily  deposited  it  in  its  hiding  -  place,  another 
answered  the  summons  from  without. 

The  old  man  himself,  while  not  frightened,  was 
somewhat  disconcerted  by  the  noise,  and  remained 
standing  in  the  center  of  the  room,  when  the  door 
was  suddenly  burst  open,  revealing  a  body  of  Con- 
federate soldiers  headed  by  a  villainous-looking  fellow, 
their  leader,  who  now  entered  the  room,  and  ap- 
proaching him,  said : 

"  Mr.  Harcourt,  I  have  orders  to  place  you  under 
arrest,  so  you  will  prepare  to  accompany  us  to  Glen- 
dale  at  once !" 

"What  crime  have  I  committed?"  demanded  the 
old  man,  now  perfectly  calm,  "  that  you  dare  enter 
my  house  in  this  manner !" 

"  You  will  know  that  soon  enough,"  replied  the 
officer ;  "  so  hustle  on  your  duds,  as  we  must  be 
going.  Bill,"  he  commanded,  turning  to  a  fellow 

near  him,  "  you  will  search  the  house  and  take  posses- 

28 


434  ATCOWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

sion  of  anything  contraband  or  treasonable  that  you 
can  find." 

This  order  was  exactly  what  his  followers  wanted, 
as  it  meant  really  an  order  to  plunder  the  house  and 
appropriate  to  their  own  use  whatever  articles  of 
value  they  found  and  that  pleased  them  to  take. 

As  none  of  the  family  had  offered  the  slightest 
resistance,  the  unwelcome  intruders  had  conducted 
themselves,  so  far,  very  orderly.  Mrs.  Harcourt,  a 
kind  and  matronly-looking  woman,  with  a  firmness 
and  self-control,  that  under  the  circumstances  was 
admirable,  bustled  about  the  room,  getting  together  a 
small. bundle  of  clothing  for  her  husband  to  take  with 
him  on  his  enforced  journey  to  Glendale ;  and  anon, 
while  doing  this,  spoke  soothing  words  of  comfort 
and  encouragement  to  the  younger  children,  who, 
white  and  speechless  with  terror,  were  crouching  in 
the  darkest  corner  of  the  room. 

The  eldest  daughter,  at  a  sign  from  her  father, 
accompanied  the  two  men  detailed  to  search  the  pre- 
mises, and  proceeded  with  them  from  room  to  room, 
as  they  rummaged  chests  and  drawers,  appropriating 
various  little  articles  to  their  own  use,  in  spite  of  the 
indignant  protest  of  the  spirited  girl  at  such  bare- 
faced robbery. 

Finally,  with  much  reluctance,  she  was  compelled 
to  admit  them  to  her  own  room,  and  to  witness  their 
ruthless  handling  of  the  contents  of  a  small  trunk,  in 
which  were  various  little  articles,  trinkets  and  me- 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  435 

mentoes,  worthless  to  any  one  else,  but,  of  course, 
priceless  to  her. 

But  what  she  most  prized  among  them,  and  which 
caused  her  the  most  alarm  should  they  be  discovered, 
was  a  small  packet  of  letters  from  her  brother  already 
mentioned  as  serving  in  the  Union  army,  and  a  small 
locket  containing  his  miniature.  Judge  of  her  dismay 
were  one  of  the  men  picked  up  the  letters,  and  with  a 
laugh  exclaimed  :  "  These  are  from  your  feller,  I  sup- 
pose ;"  and  then,  observing  the  locket,  he  opened  it 
and  with  a  leer  on  his  face,  said  :  "  And  this  is  his 
picture,  I  reckon,  eh  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  girl  eagerly  uttering,  or  rather 
echoing,  the  falsehood.  "  Yes,"  she  repeated,  "  please 
don't  take  them,  as  they  are  of  no  account  to  any 
one  but  myself." 

"All  right,"  said  the  fellow,  good-naturedly,  "I 
guess  you  can  have  them ;"  as  he  handed  them  to 
her.  She  eagerly  seized  them,  trembling  at  the  narrow 
escape  they  had  had  from  falling  into  the  possession 
of  those,  who  knowing  their  contents,  would  have 
given  her  poor  old  father  much  trouble  indeed. 

Having  completed  their  search,  and  finding  noth- 
ing that  could  be  considered  of  a  treasonable  charac- 
ter, they  returned  to  the  room  below,  and  reported  to 
their  Captain  the  result  of  their  search.  He  then 
ordered  his  men  to  retire  to  the  outside,  where  he 
followed  them,  and  after  consulting  a  short  time,  he 
returned  to  the  house  and  brusquely  informed  Mr. 


436  M'COWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

Harcourt  that  as  he  had  found  nothing  to  convict 
him  of  treason  against  the  Confederate  government, 
he  might  go  this  time,  but  to  be  d — d  careful  in  the 
future,  or  he  would  get  him  yet.  He  then  slammed 
the  door  behind  him,  rejoined  his  companions  who 
mounted  their  horses  and  rode  slowly  away. 

Satisfied  that  they  had  left,  the  family  ventured  to 
express  their  congratulations  at  the  departure  of 
their  unwelcome  visitors,  and  at  once  set  to  work  re- 
arranging the  disordered  room.  They,  however,  felt 
that  this  was  only  the  commencement  of  their  prose- 
cutions, and  they  well  knew  that  another  time,  the 
chances  were  that  they  would  not  escape  so  easily  ; 
for  should  it  become  known  that  their  son  was  in  the 
Federal  army,  they  could  no  longer  hope  to  live  in 
peace  and  safety.  The  men  who  had  visited  them 
on  this  occasion,  were  evidently  strangers  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  were,  no  doubt,  a  scouting  or  for- 
aging party,  who  had  stopped  more  from  a  want  of 
having  anything  else  to  do,  than  from  a  desire  to 
do  them  any  injury.  They,  however,  knew,  that  from 
those  in  their  own  vicinity,  there  was  much  more  to 
be  feared  ;  and  of  one  person  in  particular,  they  stood 
in  especial  dread.  That  person  was  Dan  McCowan, 
the  man  whose  name  was  mentioned  by  Mary  Har- 
court, in  her  warning  to  her  father,  only  a  moment 
before  the  soldiers,  had  entered  their  dwelling. 
Dan  McCowan  was  a  man  who  for  years  had  pur- 
sued the  detestable  calling  of  a  negro-hunter. 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  437 

He  was  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  tall,  of  an 
ungainly  form,  and  slightly  stoop-shouldered  ;  his 
hair  and  eyes  were  dark,  and  his  complexion  as  swar- 
thy as  an  Indian.  His  features,  naturally  coarse  and 
repulsive,  were  rendered  still  more  so,  by  being 
bronzed  and  hardened  by  long-continued  exposure 
to  the  weather.  His  only  associates  and  his  most 
intimate  friends  appeared  to  be  his  blood-hounds, 
which  he  used  in  hunting  and  bringing  back  to  their 
masters,  the  poor  negroes  who  were  seeking  to  escape 
from  a  life  of  continued  toil  and  bondage.  The  fol- 
lowing unique  hand-bill,  which  he  used  to  post  up  in 
various  places  over  the  country,  will  serve  to  show  the 
nature  of  his  business,  and  also  the  vast  amount  of 
intelligence  necessary  to  carry  it  on. 

NO  TIS. 

The  undersind  taiks  this  methed  of  makkin  it 
none  that  he  has  got  the  best  NIGGER  HOUNDS  in  the 
state,  and  is  always  redy  to  ketch  runaway  niggers 
at  the  best  rates. 

My  hounds  is  well  trained,  and  I  heve  hed  15 
yeres  experience.  My  rates  is  10  dollurs  per  hed  if 
ketched  in  the  beate  where  the  master  lives  ;  15  dol- 
lurs in  the  coonty,  and  50  dollurs  out  of  the  coonty. 

DAN  McCowAN. 

N.  B. 

Planters  should  taik  panes  to  let  me  know,  while 
the  niggers  tracks  is  fresh,  if  they  want  quick  work 
and  a  good  job. 


438  IpCOWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  his  services 
were  frequently  employed  to  catch  and  bring  back 
the  poor  runaways,  and  more  than  once  had  the  Har- 
court  family  been  awakened  in  the  night  by  his 
hounds,  as  they  made  the  woods  echo  with  their 
baying.  Often  had  they  pictured  to  themselves  the 
terror  of  the  poor  wretches,  over  whose  trail,  with 
unerring  scent,  swept  the  monsters,  who  would  tear 
them  limb  from  limb,  and  whose  only  choice  was 
death  at  their  hands  or  the  old  life  of  labor  and  the 
lash. 

Mr.  Harcourt  was  a  strong  anti-slavery  man. 
Holding  these  views,  he  had  ever  spoken  consistently 
against  slavery.  He  was  also  a  man  of  deeds,  as  well 
as  words,  for  many  a  poor  fugitive  had  been  assisted 
by  him  on  his  long  and  perilous  journey  northward 
in  search  -of  friends  and  the  freedom  he  craved. 

Owing  to  these  proclivities,  and  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  never  taken  pains  to  conceal  his  views,  a 
mutual  antipathy  had  long  existed  between  Mr.  Har- 
court and  Dan  McCowan,  the  nigger-hunter.  While 
the  latter  had  no  direct  proofs,  yet  he  had  long  sus- 
pected Mr.  Harcourt  of  being  a  friend  to,  and  a 
sympathizer  with  the  very  runaways  whom  it  was 
his  business  to  catch  and  return  to  the  bondage  they 
were  endeavoring  to  escape  from.  Notwithstanding 
his  dislike  for  the  father,  however,  the  fellow  had 
conceived  a  violent  attachment  for  Mary  Harcourt, 
his  daughter,  and  for  a  year  past  had  greatly  annoyed 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  439 

not  only  the  poor  girl  herself,  but  the  whole  family, 
by  his  uncouth  attentions. 

Finally,  Mr.  Harcourt  told  him  plainly  that  his 
attentions  to  his  daughter  were  extremely  distasteful 
to  her,  and  added  a  polite,  yet  firm  request,  that  he 
cease  his  troublesome  visits. 

Mary,  who  was  a  young  lady  of  sweet  and  lovely 
disposition,  possessing  both  intelligence  and  refine- 
ment, shrank  from  the  fellow  as  she  should  from  a 
viper  in  her  path  ;  while  his  odious  attempts  to  lavish 
his  unsought  affections  upon  her  so  disgusted  and 
frightened  her  that  she  always  avoided  his  presence. 

Dan  McCowan,  however,  was  just  the  man,  when 
thwarted  in  his  plans,  to  at  once  take  steps  for 
revenge.  For  some  time  he  had  kept  a  close  espion- 
age of  the  house  and  the  movements  of  its  inmates. 
He  had  somehow  obtained  possession  of  the  know- 
ledge that  young  Harcourt  was  in  the  Union  army, 
and  he  determined  to  use  this  in  his  well-laid  plans  to 
p*ersecute  the  poor  girl,  who  had  been  so  unfortunate 
as  to  have  been  the  object  of  his  passion. 

On  the  day  following  the  incidents  just  related, 
Mary,  who  had  been  spending  the  afternoon  with  a 
neighbor's  family,  towards  evening  was  returning  to 
her  home,  when  she  was  suddenly  and  most  unex- 
pectedly confronted  by  Dan  McCowan.  So  startled 
was  she  by  this  unlooked-for  meeting,  that  she 
involuntarily  gave  a  slight  scream,  as  she  recognized! 
who  it  was  that  stood  before  her. 


440  M1COWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

"  I  see  as  how  I  have  skeered  you  right  smart 
now,"  said  the  fellow,  grinning  in  her  face  with  n 
wicked  leer.  "  Your  father  told  me  as  how  he  would 
be  much  obliged  to  me  if  I  would  stop  my  visits  to 
his  house,  which,  bein'  a  gentleman,  I  was  bound  to 
do,  and  as  I  had  a  little  something  to  say  to  you,  I 
thought  this  would  be  the  time  to  say  it." 

The  girl,  who  had  now  somewhat  recovered  her 
composure,  yet  fully  realizing  the  character  of  the  man 
with  whom  she  had  to  deal,  stood  quietly  looking 
him  full  in  the  face,  and  said,  in  a  tone  that  betrayed 
her  contempt,  "  I  suppose  I  must  listen  to  you,  sir, 
but  be  brief,  as  it  is  getting  late,  and  my  folks  will  be 
uneasy  at  my  long  absence." 

"Well,  Miss  Harcourt,"  he  replied,  "  I  will  come 
to  the  point  at  once.  You  have  a  brother,  who  has 
been  away  from  home  fur  some  time.  Do  you  know 
where  he  is  ?" 

Mary  was  silent,  and  he  muttered,  half  to  himself, 
"  I  thought  so  ;  the  whole  family  are  traitors.  No 
more  than  is  to  be  expected  from  these  d — d  abo- 
litionists. I  can  tell  you  where  he  is,"  he  continued  ; 
"  he  is  on  the  other  side,  and  fighting  against  the 
South." 

"And  what  if  he  is  in  the  Federal  army?  He  is 
fighting  for  the  government  you  and  yoyrs  are  seek- 
ing to  destroy,"  answered  the  spirited  girl. 

"  It  don't  matter  much  to  me  which  side  he  fights 
on ;  but  suppose  I  tell  it  around,  that  he  is  fighting 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  441 

with  the  Yankees,  do  you  think  it  would  matter  to 
you  then  ?" 

"  My  brother  is  his  own  man,"  replied  Mary,  "  and 
he  alone  is  responsible  for  his  acts  ;  surely  they  would 
not  harm  my  father  and  us  for  that ;  and  surely  you 
would  not  tell  what  you  know,  to  injure  us  ?" 

"  That  depends  on  you,  Miss  Mary,"  the  fellow 
replied,  now  approaching  closer,  and  attempting  to 
take  her  hand. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  you  scoundrel  ?"  demanded 
the  girl,  drawing  back,  while  the  fire  flashed  from  her 
eyes.  "  Don't  offer  to  touch  me,  Dan  McCowan, 
or  I'll " 

"  What  would  you  do,  now  ?"  he  exclaimed  ;  and, 
before  she  was  aware  of  his  intentions,  he  had  sprang 
quickly  forward,  seized  her  about  the  waist,  and 
placed  one  hand  over  her  mouth,  but  not  until  she 
had  given  one  long  and  piercing  call  for  help. 

The  fellow's  base  designs  were  evident,  and  that 
he  would  have  been  successful  there  is  no  doubt ;  but 
help,  fortunately,  was  at  hand.  While  he  was  yet 
struggling  with  the  girl,  he  felt  a  violent  clutch  on 
his  collar,  from  behind,  and  before  he  could  see  from 
whence  it  came  he  was  thrown  violently  to  the 
ground,  and  was  writhing  under  the  well-directed 
kicks,  which  were  most  lavishly  bestowed  upon  him 
by  the  new  comer,  who  was  no  less  a  personage  than 
my  operative  George  Curtis. 

The  girl  had  sank  to  the  ground  almost  fainting 


442  M'COWAN    MAKES    FORCIBLE 

from  fright,  but  so  enraged  was  Curtis  at  the  scene 
he  had  witnessed,  that  he  continued  to  shower  his 
kicks  on  the  miserable  wretch,  who  roared  and  begged 
for  mercy,  until  the  girl  interposed,  and  begged  him, 
for  her  sake,  not  to  kill  him,  but  to  desist,  and  let 
him  go. 

At  this  my  operative  ceased,  more,  however,  from 
mere  lack  of  breath  than  from  a  feeling  that  the 
fellow  had  been  sufficiently  punished,  and  allowed 
him  to  regain  his  feet.  "You  contemptible,  cowardly 
brute,"  he  exclaimed,  as  McCowan  arose  ;  "  I  have  a 
mind  to  finish  you,  while  I  have  my  hand  in.  Miss," 
he  continued,  turning  to  the  girl,  "  I  am  happy  to  have 
arrived  in  time  to  be  of  service  to  you.  I  do  not  know 
anything  about  this  difficulty,  but  from  what  I  saw,  I 
concluded  that  I  had  not  time  to  make  any  inquiries." 

"  I  am  very  grateful  to  you,  sir,  for  what  you 
have  done  in  saving  me  from  that  villain.  Look 
out !"  she  exclaimed,  "  he  has  a  pistol." 

Curtis  turned  his  head  in  time  to  see  the  fellow  in 
the  act  of  drawing  a  revolver.  Quicker  than  a  flash, 
his  own  weapon  was  in  his  hands,  and  covering  the 
man,  he  said,  coolly  : 

"  Drop  your  hands,  you  hell-hound,  or  I  will  blow 
you  to  atoms  in  a  second." 

The  fellow  saw  that  he  was  foiled,  and  dropped 
his  hands  at  his  sides. 

Curtis  advanced  and  disarmed  him ;  then,  stepping 
back  a  pace,  he  said  : 


LOVE     TO    MARY    HARCOURT.  443 

"  Go  now  while  I  am  in  the  humor  to  let  you  ; 
another  move  like  that,  and  I  will  shoot  you  as  I 
would  a  dog." 

McCowan  reluctantly  obeyed,  and  slunk  away 
muttering  threats  of  vengeance. 

My  operative,  however,  paid  no  attention  to  him 
now,  but  turned  to  the  young  lady  who  proceeded 
to  relate  the  circumstance  of  her  meeting  with 
McCowan,  from  which  his  timely  interference  had 
saved  her,  and  ended  by  a  cordial  invitation,  blush- 
ingly  given,  that  he  would  accompany  her  home,  and 
spend  the  night  under  her  father's  roof.  As  he  was 
anxious  to  find  a  lodging-place  for  the  night,  at  any 
rate,  the  detective,  gratefully  accepted  the  invitation, 
feeling  such  an  interest  in  this  really  beautiful  girl 
that  he  could  not  resist  the  desire  to  cultivate  further 
the  acquaintance,  so  strangely  begun.  He  hastily 
brought  his  horse  from  where  he  had  left  him  by  the 
roadside,  and  leading  him  by  the  bridle,  walked  by  the 
side  of  his  companion  until  they  reached  the  house. 
As  they  strolled  along,  Mary  frankly  told  him  the 
secret  of  McCowan's  attack,  and  proceeded  to  explain 

4 

the  man's  character,  and  the  detestable  nature  of  the 
business  in  which  he  was  engaged. 

By  this  time,  they  had  reached  her  father's  house, 
'where  they  were  met  at  the  gate  by  the  old  gentleman 
himself,  who  was  alarmed  and  anxious  at  his 
daughter's  absence  so  far  beyond  her  usual  time  for 
return. 


444  M'COWAN    MAKES    LOVE. 

"  Father,"  said  the  girl,  "  this  is  " — here  she  paused, 
visibly  embarrassed,  and  gazed  timidly  into  the  face 
of  the  detective. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Curtis  hastily,  seeing  the  cause 
of  her  confusion;  "my  name  is  George  Curtis;  we 
have  been  so  busy  talking  that  I  had  not  thought  of 
names." 

She  then  introduced  them,  and  briefly  related  to 
her  father  the  cause  of  her  detention,  and  her  adven- 
ture with  McCowan,  not  forgetting  to  mention  the 
part  my  operative  had  played  in  her  timely  rescue 
from  the  villain's  hands. 

The  old  man  thanked  him  again  and  again,  and  so 
profusely,  that  Curtis  begged  that  he  would  not 
mention  it,  as  he  had  done  nothing  more  than  any 
gentleman,  under  the  same  circumstances,  would  have 
done,  gone  to  the  lady's  rescue  at  her  call  for  help. 

His  horse  was  ordered  to  be  taken  to  the  barn, 
and  he  himself  was  soon  seated  in  the  house,  receiv- 
ing the  tearful  thanks  of  good  Mrs.  Harcourt,  and 
the  object  of  the  admiring  gaze  of  Mary's  younger 
brother  and  sister,  who  regarded  him  as  a  hero,  and  a 
person  who  had  no  small  claim  on  their  affection  and 
esteem. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

Curtis  Again  on  his  Travels. — A  Loving  Episode. — Dan 
McCowan  Again  T^^rns  Up. —  The  Capture  of  Curtis. — 
A  Fight  For  Life,  and  Escape. — A  Bit  of  Matrimony. 

THE  next  day,  my  operative  took  his  leave  of 
the  Harcourt  family,  and  continued  on  his  way 
to  Richmond.  He,  however,  gave  them  his  promise, 
that  he  would  visit  them  again  before  long,  a  promise 
he  was  in  no  wise  loath  to  keep,  as  Mary  had  joined 
her  request  to  that  of  her  father,  that  he  should  not 
fail  to  give  them  a  call,  when  he  was  in  their  vicinity. 

The  truth  was  my  operative,  who  was  a  very  ex- 
cellent young  man,  and,  notwithstanding  his  calling, 
susceptible  to  the  charms  of  the  fair  sex,  was  not  a 
little  smitten  by  the  fair  Mary,  whom  he  had  met 
under  circumstances  that  would  have  caused  even  a 
less  romantic  person  than  himself  to  have  fallen  in 
love  with  her  at  once. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  girl's  feelings  of  gratitude 
and  admiration  for  the  young  man,  who  had  rescued 
her  from  McCowan's  clutches,  were  those  almost 
akin  to  love  ;  but  with  true  maidenly  modesty,  she 
simply  treated  him  with  that  delicate  courtesy  that, 
while  it  showed  plainly  her  high  regard  for  him,  yet 

[445] 


446  A    FIGHT    FOR    LIFE, 

\ 

it  in  no  way  overstepped  the  bounds  of  strict  pro- 
priety. It  was  evident,  however,  that  she  regarded 
him  as  one  who  certainly  had  strong  claims  upon  her 
friendship  and  esteem.  ' 

Bidding  them  good-bye,  then,  Curtis  took  leave  of 
the  family,  whom  he  had  known  but  a  single  night, 
yet  who,  in  that  brief  space,  had  grown  to  be  like  old 
acquaintances  ;  and  his  regret  on  leaving  them,  was 
very  much  like  that  in  parting  from  old  and  intimate 
friends. 

Taking  the  route  by  Glendale,  he,  towards  even- 
ing, arrived  at  Richmond,  without  any  event  worthy 
of  notice,  and  put  up  at  Miller's  Hotel. 

A  few  weeks  later  found  him  on  his  return  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  in  his  possession  impor- 
tant dispatches  that  he  had  obtained  in  the  rebel 
capital.  As  he  left  Richmond,  the  news  reached  that 
city  of  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  by  the  rebels, 
and  their  retreat  up  the  peninsula  towards  Williams- 
burgh.  The  effect  of  these  tidings  was  anything  but 
encouraging  to  those  who  had  hoped  that  a  final  and 
decisive  battle  would  have  been  fought  at  Yorktown, 
and  the  further  advance  of  the  Union  troops  effect- 
ually checked. 

McClellan's  vigorous  preparations,  however,  for  a 
protracted  siege,  had  decided  the  rebels  that  it 
would  be  useless  to  risk  a  battle  here,  and  they  conse- 
quently determined  to  evacuate  the  place,  which, 
they  did  on  the  fifth  of  May,  and  by  noon  of  the 


AND    ESCAPE.  447 

same  day  McClellan's  army  had  broken  camp  and 
was  in  full  pursuit.  With  such  celerity  did  he  make 
his  movements,  and  so  closely  did  he  press  the  Con- 
federates, that  on  the  following  day  they  were  com- 
pelled to  make  a  stand,  and  here  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Williamsburgh,  in  which  the  rebels  were  de- 
feated, and  continued  their  retreat  towards  Rich- 
mond. 

The  army  of  the  Potomac  now  continued  its  ad- 
vance, with  all  the  rapidity  the  terrible  condition  of 
the  roads  would  permit,  having  for  its  base  of  supplies 
the  York  River,  until  two  weeks  later  it  rested  be- 
tween the  Pamunkey  and  the  Chickahominy.  It  was 
at  this  stage  of  affairs  on  the  Peninsula,  that  Curtis 
was  on  his  return  trip  from  Richmond.  With  his 
passes  in  his  pocket,  his  dispatches  securely  concealed 
about  him,  and  his  trusty  horse  as  his  only  com- 
panion, he  set  out  for  his  long  ride  to  Wilson's  Land- 
ing, and  the  headquarters  of  the  Union  army. 

It  was  his  purpose  to  stop  by  the  way  long 
enough  to  at  least  inquire  after  the  health  of  the 
Harcourt  family,  and  learn  how  they  had  fared  dur- 
ing his  absence.  So,  pushing  rapidly  ahead,  towards 
the  close  of  what  had  been  a  beautiful  day  in  May, 
he,  near  nightfall,  found  himself  at  Farmer  Har- 
court's  door,  where  he  was  most  cordially  welcomed. 

His  jaded  horse  was  led  to  the  barn  to  be  watered 
and  fed,  while  he  was  soon  resting  his  tired  limbs  in 
an  easy  chair,  while  waiting  a  tempting  supper  that 


448  A     FIGHT    FOR    LIFE, 

was  almost  ready  for  an  appetite  keenly  whetted  by 
his  long  and  hard  day's  ride. 

His  object  now,  was  to  stop  long  enough  to  rest 
himself  and  horse,  and  then  push  on  by  night  and  en- 
deavor to  reach  the  Federal  lines  by  daybreak.  Mr. 
Harcourt  informed  him  that  they  had  not  been 
molested  by  McCowan  since  his  former  visit,  and  that 
it  was  reported  that  he  had  formed  a  band  of  Guer- 
rillas, and  at  their  head  was  pillaging  and  robbing 
the  people  in  an  adjoining  county. 

"He  is  an  unscrupulous  villain,"  observed  the  old 
gentleman,  ''and  I  confess  I  stand  in  no  little  dread 
that  he  may  pay  us  a  visit  at  any  time,  in  which  case, 
if  we  escape  with  our  lives,  we  may  consider  ourselves 
fortunate.  I  have,"  he  added,  "fully  made  up  my 
mind  to  take  my  family,  leave  my  home  here,  and,  if 
possible,  go  North,  where  a  man  of  my  way  of 
thinking  can  live  in  security  and  peace.  If  I  were 
younger,  I  would  enlist,  myself,  but  my  fighting  days 
are  past." 

"  I  trust  you  may  soon  be  able  to  get  away  from 
here,"  said  Curtis;  "and  as  the  Union  army  is  now 
advancing  up  the  Peninsula,  you  can,  I  think,  with 
little  danger,  make  your  way  into  its  lines." 

He  then  informed  him  of  the  evacuation  of  York- 
town,  and  of  the  retreat  of  the  Confederates,  and 
advised  him  to  hasten  his  arrangements  to  go  North, 
while  this  opportunity  afforded  him  a  way  to  do  so 
with  safety. 


AND    ESCAPE.  449 

After  the  evening  meal  was  over  the  family  seated 
themselves  on  a  pleasant  little  porch,  that  ran  along 
one  side  of  the  old-fashioned  house,  facing  the  west, 
and  in  the  deepening  twilight  they  sat  and  talked 
over  the  trying  times,  and  united  in  their  wishes  for 
a  speedy  termination  of  the  fratricidal  conflict. 

Thus  the  evening  passed  until  near  ten  o'clock, 
when  my  operative  informed  his  friends  that  he  must 
take  his  departure,  as  he  was  determined,  if  possible, 
to  reach  the  Union  lines  by  daybreak. 

The  whole  family  urged  him  to  pass  the  night 
with  them  ;  but  finding  him  bent  on  going,  his  horse 
was  ordered  to  the  door,  and  he  prepared  to  take  his 
leave. 

He  shook  hands  with  the  good  farmer  and  his 
wife,  and  looked  anxiously  around  for  Mary  ;  surely 
she  would  bid  him  good-bye  before  he  went  away, 
but  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  He  even  lingered 
a  few  moments,  hoping  she  would  return  ;  she  did  not, 
however,  put  in  an  appearance ;  so,  leaving  his  regards 
for  her  with  her  parents,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and 
with  a  heavy  heart  rode  along  down  the  long,  narrow 
lane  that  led  from  the  house  to  the  main  road. 

He  could  not  understand  why  the  girl  should 
have  absented  herself  just  as  he  was  taking  his  leave  ; 
could  it  be  that  he  had  in  any  way  offended  her,  that 
she  should  avoid  him  on  purpose  ?  Revolving  the 
matter  in  his  mind,  and  feeling  that  hereafter  he 
would  take  pains  to  avoid  the  Harcourt  mansion,  he 
29 


450  A    FIGHT    FOR    LIFE, 

now  approached  the  terminus  of  the  lane,  still  buried 
in  thought,  when  his  horse,  becoming  frightened,  shied 
slightly  to  one  side ;  hastily  raising  his  eyes,  he  saw, 
to  his  amazement,  the  object  of  his  thoughts  standing 
by  the  roadside. 

He  checked  his  horse,  and,  in  a  tone  that  betray- 
ed his  astonishment,  exclaimed,  "  You  here,  Miss 
Mary !" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  evidently  a  little  confused, 
"  I  wanted  to  see  you  a  little  while  alone.  I  trust  you 
will  pardon  me  for  adopting  the  means  I  have  to 
secure  a  short  talk  with  you." 

By  this  time  Curtis  had  dismounted,  and  was 
standing  at  her  side. 

"  Well,  what  is  it,  Miss  Harcourt  ?  I  am  happy 
to  be  at  your  service  in  any  way  in  my  power." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  answered,  hastily,  "  you  have 
placed  me  under  obligations  to  you,  but  I  venture  to- 
night to  ask  one  favor  more." 

"'  If  is  granted  already,"  said  Curtis. 

Thanking  him  again,  she  proceeded  :  "  You  know 
my  brother  is  in  the  Union  army,  and  I  have  not 
heard  from  him  for  several  weeks  ;  I  wish  you  would 
try  to  get  this  letter  to  him,  and,  if  it  is  not  asking 
too  much,"  she  added,  hesitatingly,  "will  you  kindly 
bring  me  his  reply,  or  at  least  some  word  that  I  may 
know  he  is  safe  and  well  ?" 

Curtis  took  the  letter  from  her  hands,  and,  de- 
positing it  safely  in  an  inside  pocket  of  his  coat,  he 


AND    ESCAPE.  451 

said :  "  I  will  do  my  best  to  deliver  the  letter,  and, 
should  I  not  return  soon  with  an  answer,  you  may 
know  something  unavoidable  has  detained  me." 

As  he  stood  there,  gazing  earnestly  into  the  sweet 
face  of  his  fair  companion,  a  sudden  purpose  to  then 
and  there  declare  his  love  for  her  came  into  his  mind. 
With  him,  to  resolve  was  to  act ;  extending  his  hand, 
he  took  hers  in  a  friendly  clasp,  and  said  :  "  Miss 
Harcourt,  I  am  going  to  bid  you  good-bye,  with  the 
hope  of  seeing  you  again  very  soon  ;  but  I  will  not 
conceal  from  you  the  fact,  that,  in  the  fortunes  of 
war,  it  is  possible  that  we  may  never  meet  again. 
Under  these  circumstances,  then,  I  make  bold  to 
tell  you  to-night  something  that,  ordinarily,  I  would 
not  mention  until  your  longer  acquaintance  with  me 
would  make  it  appear  more  proper,  at  least  so  far  as 
society  rules  are  concerned. 

"  Miss  Harcourt,"  he  continued,  still  holding  the 
hand  that  now  lay  passively  in  his,  "  in  the  short  time 
I  have  known  you  I  have  learned  to  love  you,  and  I 
am  confident  time  only  will  strengthen  that  love.  I 
do  not  ask  your  answer  now  ;  when  we  meet  again,  if 
we  do,  you  can  tell  me  my  fate.  If  your  answer  then 
should  be  nay,  I  will  try  to  bear  it  like  a  man, 
respecting  you  none  the  less  even  if  I  fail  to  win  the 
love  I  would  so  highly  prize.  Good-bye,  darling  !" 
and  lightly  pressing  her  hand  to  his  lips,  he  threw 
himself  into  his  saddle,  and  giving  his  noble  animal 
the  rein,  dashed  away,  leaving  Miss  Harcourt  stand- 


452  A     FIGHT    FOR    LIFE, 

ing  in  a  half-dazed  manner,  straining  her  eyes  after 
his  figure,  that  in  the  pale  moonlight  was  rapidly  dis- 
appearing from  her  view. 

Curtis  now  set  off  for  the  headquarters  of  the 
Union  army.  Our  friend  pushed  on,  and  shortly 
after  midnight  arrived  at  the  Landing,  and  from  here 
faced  about  to  the  east,  and  in  the  direction  of 
Williamsburgh,  where  the  Union  army,  victorious  in 
the  battle  just  fought,  were  encamped. 

He  now  slackened  his  speed  somewhat,  to  rest  his 
jaded  steed,  and,  dropping  the  reins,  allowed  him  to 
take  a  moderate  walk,  while  he  himself  fell  into  a  deep 
reverie  over  the  events  of  his  trip. 

On  this  occasion  he  had  been  very  successful  in 
his  work  in  the  rebel  capital,  and  had,  so  far,  effectually 
escaped  any  suspicion  as  a  spy.  Considering  the 
watchful  vigilance  that  at  this  time  was  maintained 
by  the  rebels,  Curtis  had  indeed  done  well ;  and  it 
was  with  feelings  of  thorough  satisfaction  that  now, 
near  the  close  of  his  arduous  journey,  and  when  he  felt 
reasonably  secure  from  being  molested,  that  he  re- 
laxed somewhat  his  usual  vigilance,  and  allowed  him- 
self and  animal  a  much  needed  rest. 

He  was  not,  however,  destined  to  get  through 
so  easily  as  he  had  anticipated.  As  he  entered  a 
small  clump  of  timber,  and  while  he  was  unsuspecting 
any  danger  at  this  nearness  to  the  Union  camp,  two 
mounted  men  suddenly  made  their  appearance  from 
the  side  of  the  road,  and  from  where  they  had  been 


AND    ESCAPE.  453 

concealed   in  the  bushes,  and,  holding  their  cocked 
weapons  at  his  head,  commanded  him  to  halt. 

At  the  same  instant,  men  came  pouring  in  from 
both  sides  of  the  woods,  that  here  skirted  his  path, 
and  almost  before  he  could  realize  his  situation,  or 
who  were  his  assailants,  he  was  overpowered,  taken 
from  his  horse,  and  securely  bound. 

He  soon  discovered  his  captors  were  a  band  of 
guerillas,  who  had  been  quartered  in  the  grove,  and  he 
had  by  the  merest  chance  stumbled  right  into  their 
midst.  While  he  was  quickly  debating  in  his  mind  his 
chances  for  escape,  and  his  probable  fate  at  their 
hands,  he  was  led  into  the  presence  of  the  captain  of 
the  band,  who,  with  a  few  of  his  followers,  had 
evidently  been  sleeping  about  a  camp-fire  that  had 
now  burned  low,  leaving  only  a  bed  of  glowing 
embers,  that  cast  a  faint  light  on  the  swarthy  faces  of 
the  rough-looking  men  that  now  grouped  yawningly 
about  it  awaiting  his  coming. 

"  Who  have  you  here,"  asked  the  Captain,  as  the 
party  escorting  Curtis  came  up, 

"  Don't  know,  Capten,"  laconically  answered  one 
of  the  men  ;  "  we  jest  now  found  him  and  handed 
him  in  here  without  askin'  him  enny  questions  ;  but 
here  he  is,  you  can  talk  to  him  yourself." 

Curtis  was  now  unbound,  and  led  forward,  and 
stood  facing  the  Captain.  As  their  eyes  met,  the 
recognition  was  mutual  and  instantaneous ;  in  the 
man  that  stood  before  him,  my  operative  recognized 


454  A    FIGHT    FOR    LIFE, 

no  less  a  personage  than  Dan  McCowan,  the  man 
whom  he  had  so  unmercifully  drubbed  on  a  former 
occasion,  which  has  already  been  described. 

At  the  same  moment,  McCowan  saw  who  it  was 
that  had  so  unexpectedly  fallen  into  his  hands,  and 
with  a  wicked  laugh  and  a  horrible  oath,  he  sprang 
forward,  and  clutching  him  by  the  throat,  exclaimed  : 

"  By  G — d,  I  have  been  looking  for  you  for  some 
time  ;  it  is  my  turn  now." 

It  was  evident  that  the  fellow  in  his  rage  meant 
murder;  but  Curtis,  who  was  both  brave  and  cool, 
besides  being  strong  and  active,  wrenched  loose  from 
his  grip,  and  springing  hastily  backward,  he  dealt  him, 
with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  a  powerful  blow 
between  the  eyes,  that  felled  him  like  an  ox.  Then, 
before  the  lookers-on  could  scarcely  realize  what  had 
taken  place,  he  leaped  over  the  form  of  the  pros- 
trate man,  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness  of  the 
wood. 

The  Captain  by  this  time  regained  his  feet,  and 
showering  curses  upon  his  men  for  a  pack  of  cowardly 
idiots,  started  off  in  pursuit,  followed  by  a  half  a 
score  of  his  fellows,  who  now,  in  order  to  conciliate 
their  enraged  leader,  determined  to  retake  the  detec- 
tive at  all  hazards. 

Fortunately  for  Curtis,  he  had  been  allowed  to 
retain  his  weapons,  and  being  fleet  of  foot,  he  had 
but  little  to  fear. 

He  soon  succeeded   in  eluding  his  pursuers,  and, 


AND    ESCAPE.  455 

shortly  after  daylight,  found  his  way  into  the  Union 
camp. 

He  then  reported  to  me  with  his  dispatches  from 
Richmond,  and  related  his  adventures  here  re- 
corded. 

I  ought  to  state,  however,  that  he  did  not,  at  that 
time,  inform  me  of  his  proposal  to  Miss  Harcourt ; 
but  after  remaining  with  me  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  during  which  time  he  made  many  trips  to  and 
fro  between  Richmond  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
Federal  army,  after  the  struggle  was  ended  and  we 
both  had  retired  to  the  life  of  a  citizen,  he,  as  a  sales- 
man in  a  business  house  in  Chicago,  I  to  my  business 
as  a  detective  in  the  same  city,  then  it  was  he  related 
the  story  of  his  courtship,  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  wooed  and  won  the  woman  who  was  then,  and 
still  is,  his  wife.  As  for  the  Harcourt  family,  they 
made  their  way  to  the  North,  by  the  aid  of  my  oper- 
ative and  young  Harcourt,  and  the  courtship  between 
Curtis  and  the  daughter  was  kept  up  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  they  were  married. 

I  will  also  say,  that  they  are  still  living  happily 
together,  surrounded  by  an  interesting  family  of 
children,  who  with  childlike  eagerness  clamber  on  their 
papa's  knees  to  hear  him  tell  them  stones  of  the  war, 
and  his  adventures  before  they  were  even  born, 
a  period  that  to  them  seems  ages  and  ages  ago. 

Dan  McCowan  was  killed  in  an  attack  that  his 
party,  led  by  him,  made  on  a  band  of  our  scouts, 


456       A     FIGHT    FOR    LIFE,    AND    ESCAPE. 

shortly  after  the  occurrence  of  the  incidents  described 
in  this  chapter. 

I  would  fain  have  dwelt  longer  on  the  work  of 
young  Curtis,  and  noted  more  minutely  the  impor- 
tance of  his  labors  in  the  secret  service,  but  a  lack  of 
space  and  time  compel  me  here  to  drop  him  with  the 
passing  comment,  that  he  was  an  excellent  operative, 
and  that  he  so  faithfully  and  efficiently  did  his  work, 
that  the  subterranean  headquarters,  with  its  corps  of 
operatives,  never  did  the  Union  cause  any  practical 
harm,  but  a  great  deal  of  good,  in  furnishing  intel- 
ligence of  the  movements  and  intentions  of  the  rebel 

o 

forces. 


NIGHT    ON    THE    BATTLE-FIELD. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

McClellan  and  his  Enemies. —  The  Peninsula  Campaign. —  The 
Rebel  Forces  Before  Richmond. —  The  Union  Forces  Out- 
numbered by  the  Enemy,  and  their  Commander  Hampered 
By  Superiors. — An  Honest  Opinion. 

T  is  not  my  purpose  to  attempt  to  detail  the  vari- 
-•-  ous  movements  of  the  army,  to  describe  the  bat- 
tles which  were  fought,  or  to  chronicle  the  victories 
and  defeats  which  were  achieved  and  sustained  by  the 
brave  soldiers  who  fought  under  the  flag  of  the 
Union.  That  duty  belongs  to  the  historian  ;  mine 
simply  to  relate  the  experiences  of  my  own  men  in 
the  delicate,  dangerous  and  laborious  duties  which 
devolved  upon  them.  Far  less  is  it  my  desire  to 
enter  into  a  discussion  upon  the  various  subjects  that 
have,  since  that  fratricidal  conflict,  engrossed  the  at- 
tention of  the  student  of  history. 

I  trust,  however,  that  I  may  be  pardoned,  if,  for  a 
time,  I  depart  from  the  main  narrative  and  devote  a 
brief  space  to  the  consideration  of  that  much  dis- 
cussed subject,  the  campaign  of  the  Peninsula.  I 
make  no  pretension  whatever  to  being  a  military 
scholar,  nor  in  any  sense  a  military  man,  but  my 
connection  with  the  government  during  the  war,  and 
participation  in  the  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Po- 

[457] 


458  THE    REBEL    FORCES 

tomac,  together  with  my  long  and  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  its  commander,  General  McClellan,  may  en- 
title me  to  a  brief  expression  of  my  own  views  of  that 
campaign.  I  may  be  pardoned,  also,  if  I  attempt  to 
ascribe  to  their  proper  source,  some  of  the  causes 
which  contributed  largely  to  the  disasters  that  at- 
tended it. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  the  young 
commander-in-chief  was  subjected  to  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  most  malignant  political  intriguers,  who 
feared  that  his  growing  popularity  would  result  in 
political  exaltation.  Taking  advantage  of  the  fact, 
therefore,  that  General  McClellan  was  an  avowed 
Democrat,  a  scheming  cabal  was  working  to  weaken 
his  influence  with  the  people  by  vague  insinuations 
against  his  loyalty  to  the  Union  cause.  To  further 
that  end,  his  plans,  so  carefully  and  intelligently  ma- 
tured, for  the  speedy  crushing  of  the  rebellion,  were 
either  totally  disregarded  by  an  unfriendly  cabinet,  or 
were  so  frequently  thwarted,  that  to  successfully  carry 
them  out  was  an  utter  impossibility. 

As  I  have  always  been  a  faithful  adherent  of  the 
'maxim,  "  speak  the  truth,  though  the  heavens  fall," 
and  believing  It  to  be  a  doctrine,  that  if  practically 
carried,  will  right  all  wrongs,  uphold  the  innocent, 
administer  censure  where  deserved,  and  praise  where 
it  is  due,  I  have  invariably  attempted  to  form  my 
judgment  of  my  fellow-men  upon  their  own  intrinsic 
merits. 


BEFORE    RICHMOND.  459 

Whatever  may  have  been  his  faults  as  a  man,  his 
mistakes  as  a  General,  he  was  throughout  unflinch- 
ingly loyal  to  the  cause  of  the  North.  With  him  it 
was  but  one  sentiment,  and  one  ambition — to  whip  the 
rebels  into  subjection — and  manfully  did  he  perform 
his  duty  toward  the  accomplishment  of  that  object. 
Much  of  the  censure  which  has  been  heaped  upon 
him  and  his  conduct  as  Commander  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  is  due  to  a  hasty  and  inconsiderate 
judgment  of  the  man  and  his  motives,  or  the  result 
of  direct  prejudice  and  ill-will.  In  the  eyes  of  his 
critics  his  great  fault  lay  in  what  they  considered  his 
inexcusable  delay  in  moving  against  the  enemy  in  the 
Spring  of  1862,  after,  as  they  supposed,  he  had  ample 
time  to  prepare  his  army  for  the  field. 

From  this  point  began  the  open  and  unfriendly 
criticisms  which  were  designed  to  excite  an  impatient 
people,  who  did  not,  and  could  not,  understand  why 
active  operations  were  not  at  once  begun.  This  delay 
was  adroitly  used  by  scheming  politicians  to  cast  the 
shadow  of  disloyalty  upon  a  man,  who  never  for  one 
moment  entertained  a  disloyal  thought,  nor  performed 
a  single  action  which  he  did  not  believe  would  re- 
dound to  the  credit  and  honor  of  the  Union  troops, 
and  of  the  Government  which  he  served. 

My  acquaintance  with  General  McClellan  began 
before  the  war,  and  when  he  was  the  Vice-President 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  That  corporation 
had,  on  frequent  occasions,  employed  my  services  in 


460  THE    REBEL    FORCES 

various  operations  affecting  their  interests,  and  in  this 
way  I  first  met  and  became  associated  with  the  Gene- 
ral. From  this  date  began  my  warm  regard  for  the 
man,  which,  during  the  many  years  that  have  passed, 
has  known  no  diminution. 

I  knew  the  man  so  well,  and  my  confidence  in  his 
integrity  and  patriotism  was  so  thorough,  that  a  doubt 
of  his  loyalty  never  entered  my  mind.  Many  of  my 
old-line  abolition  friends  went  so  far  as  to  reproach 
me  for  my  steadfast  adherence  to  McClellan,  and 
accused  me  of  abandoning  my  principles.  I,  however, 
knew  my  own  ground,  and  held  it.  I  knew  that  the 
General  was  not  an  abolitionist,  but  that  he  was  not 
a  patriot  I  could  not  believe  for  a  moment.  I  have 
always  thought,  and  my  opinion  remains  unchanged  to 
this  day,  that  had  he  been  left  free  to  carry  out  his 
plans  in  the  Peninsula  campaign,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  would  have  escaped  the  disasters  that  befell 
it ;  Richmond  would  have  been  reduced,  and  occupied 
by  the  Federal  troops ;  and  victory  instead  of  defeat 
would  have  crowned  their  heroic  efforts  from  the 
river  to  the  rebel  seat  of  government. 

"  How  do  you  account  for  General  McClellan's 
'  masterly  inactivity '  during  all  these  months  that  his 
army  lay  at  Washington  ?"  is  asked.  Ah,  there  is  the 
mistake.  It  was  anything  but  inactivity,  and  it  is 
beginning  to  be  pretty  generally  understood  now 
what  he  was  doing  at  that  time. 

More  than  one  writer  on  the  campaigns  of  the 


BEFORE    RICHMOND.  461 

Civil  War,  has  taken  occasion  to  say  that  the  splen- 
did achievements  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at 
subsequent  periods,  and  under  other  commanders, 
were  mainly  due  to  the  careful  drilling  and  the  rigid 
discipline  inculcated  under  McClellan.  At  the  time 
he  was  called  to  the  command  of  the  army  it  was 
nothing  better  than  a  band  of  disorganized  men,  who 
had  not  recovered  from  the  defeat  of  Bull  Run,  and 
whatever  efficiency  it  attained,  was  accomplished  by 
the  indefatigable  efforts  of  General  McClellan  and 
the  officers  under  his  command. 

The  South,  at  the  outbreak,  was  far  better  prepared 
for  war  than  the  North.  For  months  preceding  the 
election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  the  people  of  the  South  were 
secretly  preparing  for  a  struggle.  They  had  even 
then  determined,  if  beaten  by  the  ballot,  to  resort  to 
the  bayonet,  and  to  decide  upon  the  battle-field  the 
questions  which  they  failed  to  settle  by  fair  discussion 
and  honest  legislation  in  the  National  Congress.  The 
people  of  the  North,  on  the  contrary,  being  so  long 
accustomed  to  submit  to  the  expressed  will  of  the 
majority,  apprehended  no  danger.  While  they  were 
keenly  alive  to  the  important  nature  of  the  issues  pre- 
sented in  the  campaign,  they  did  not  dream  that  the 
new  party,  if  successful,  would  have  a  gigantic  civil 
war  on  its  hands  as  the  result  of  its  triumph  in  a 
contest  peaceably  decided  by  the  silent  yet  all-power- 
ful ballot.  Resting  in  this  fancied  security  from 


462  THE    REBEL    FORCES 

danger,  the  war  was  a  surprise,  for  which  they  were 
but  illy  prepared. 

I  need  not  detail  the  situation  of  affairs  when  the 
news  flashed  over  the  wires  that  Fort  Sumter  was 
fired  upon.  Suffice  it  do  say,  that  the  South  was  up 
in  arms,  in  full  preparation  almost,  before  the  North 
could  realize  that  war  was  at  hand. 

The  first  great  battle  of  the  war  was  fought,  and 
the  Union  troops  suffered  a  most  humiliating  defeat, 
falling  back  in  disordered  crowds  upon  Washington, 
and  at  this  time  General  McClellan  took  command 
and  brought  order  out  of  chaos. 

The  community  did  not  seem  to  consider,  or  to 
understand,  that  it  was  necessary  to  spend  so  much 
time  in  drilling  the  troops  and  making  elaborate  prep- 
arations for  the  field.  But  the  commanding  officer 
was  too  good  a  general  to  imitate  the  impetuous  ac- 
tions of  his  predecessors,  and  to  make  an  aggressive 
campaign  with  raw  and  undisciplined  troops.  It  was 
in  consequence  of  this,  that  months  were  spent  in 
the  patient  and  persistent  task  of  properly  organiz- 
ing, drilling  and  equipping  his  men  for  the  field,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1862,  when  the  army  did  move,  in 
the  language  of  the  General,  it  was  one  "  from  which 
much  was  to  be  expected." 

Unfortunately,  however,  at  the  very  outset,  the 
General  and  the  President  had  each  matured  a  plan 
for  the  conduct  of  the  war,  and,  in  many  respects, 
these  where  diametrically  opposed  to  each  other.  At 


BEFORE    RICHMOND.  463 

this  point  the  question  might  be  asked,  whose  plan 
should  have  been  followed  ? 

By  the  Constitution,  the  President  is  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  all  the  armies  and  the  navy  of 
the  United  States,  and  is,  of  course,  ex-officio,  the 
highest  military  authority  in  the  land.  "  But  if  a 
President  disclaims  all  knowledge  of  military  affairs," 
as  President  Lincoln  did,  "it  then  becomes  a  question 
how  far  he  should  defer  the  conduct  of  a  war  to  his 
appointed  Commander-in-Chief,  who  is  supposed  to 
be  chosen  on  account  of  his  skill  and  sagacity  in 
military  matters,  and  upon  his  presumed  fitness  for 
the  position." 

In  President  Lincoln's  hesitation  between  the  ad- 
vice of  his  Generals  in  the  field,  and  the  views  urged 
by  his  Cabinet  lay  the  foundation  of  many  of  the 
blunders  and  mistakes  of  the  war,  the  trouble  being, 
as  one  writer  affirms,  that  "instead  of  one  mind,  there 
were  many  minds  influencing  the  management  of 
military  affairs."  As  the  result  of  this  there  was  a 
lack  of  concert  and  action  between  the  two  heads  of 
the  military  department,  and  at  the  critical  period  of 
the  campaign,  McDowell's  forces  were  held  at  Wash- 
ington when  McClellan  expected  him  to  re-enforce 
the  army  of  the  Potomac. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  said  and  writ- 
ten upon  this  subject,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  express- 
ing the  opinion,  that  had  not  the  President  and  his 
advisors,  stood  in  such  ungrounded  fear  for  the  safety 


464  THE    REBEL    FORCES 

of  Washington,  and  had  not  withheld  McDowell's 
forces  at  a  time  when  their  absence  was  a  most 
serious  blow  to  the  plans  of  General  McClellan,  the 
close  of  the  year  would  have  seen  the  Rebellion 
crushed,  and  the  war  ended. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  campaign  I  had  an 
interview  with  General  McClellan,  and  he  expressed 
the  utmost  confidence  in  his  ability,  provided  his 
plans  were  fully  supported  and  carried  out,  to  gain 
the  objective  point  of  the  war,  and  to  accomplish  the 
reduction  of  the  rebel  capital.  My  force  of  operatives 
had  been  diligently  at  work  in  procuring  what  in- 
formation that  was  possible  of  attainment,  of  the 
numbers  of  the  enemy,  and  with  such  success  that  in 
March  I  was  able  to  report  the  approximate  strength 
of  the  rebel  army  at  115,500  men,  apportioned  about 
as  follows : 

At  Manassas,  Centerville  and  vicinity,  80,000 

"     Brooks'  Station,  Dumfries,  &c.,  .     .  18,000 

"     Leesburg, 4,500. 

In  the  Shenandoah  Valley,      .  '  ,     .     .  13,000 

Total .    115,500 

In  gaining  this  important  information,  Timothy 
Webster,  Pryce  Lewis,  John  Scobell  and  a  host  of 
other  efficient  members  of  my  force,  some  of  whom 
have  already  been  mentioned  in  these  pages,  deserve 
especial  credit  for  their  sleepless  energy  in  prosecut- 
ing the  work  that  had  been  assigned  to  them. 


BEFORE    RICHMOND.  465 

On  the  4th  of  April  the  forward  movement  was 
made,  and  the  siege  of  Yorktown  was  begun.  The 
result  of  this  seige  the  student  of  history  already 
knows,  a  simple  detention  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, until  the  enemy  could  occupy  and  fortify  Rich- 
mond. Here  is  where  McClellan  suffered  from  the 
detention  of  McDowell  at  Washington — he  had  pre- 
pared a  plan  with  McDowell  as  one  of  its  principal 
actors,  and  with  that  force  withdrawn,  the  General's 
intentions  were  not  only  radically  interfered  with, 
but  seriously  deranged. 

During  this  time  the  rebel  army  was  being  daily 
reinforced  and  strengthened,  until,  by  June  26th,  its 
numbers  were  swelled  to  nearly  200,000  effective 
men.  McClellan,  on  the  contrary,  starting  as  he  did, 
with  a  smaller  army  than  he  thought  was  necessary 
to  cope  with  the  enemy,  found  himself,  when  before 
their  fortifications,  after  being  deprived  of  McDowell's 
division,  with  an  army  of  less  than  90,000  effective 
troops. 

Another  element  in  this  campaign  must  not  be 
lost  sight  of.  The  Navy,  whose  co-operation  and  as- 
sistance had  been  promised  and  relied  upon,  was  un- 
able to  aid  him  at  all.  Can  it  be  wondered  at,  there- 
fore, that  his  plans,  however  well  laid,  and  whatever 
their  merits,  viewed  from  a  military  stand-point,  or 
the  stand-point  of  common  sense,  failed  in  their 
execution. 

One  writer,  in  speaking  of"  the  treatment  of  Gen- 
30 


466  THE    REBEL    FORCES 

eral  McClellan,  has  well  said:  "A  general  of  high 
spirit  and  sensitive  soul  might  have  found  in  the 
government's  action  the  occasion  for  sending  in  his 
resignation ;  but  General  McClellan  continued  in 
command,  accepted  the  situation,  and  endeavored  to 
make  the  best  of  it." 

And  still  another  has  said,  although  inclined  to  be 
partial  and  unfair,  in  his  account  of  the  battles  of 
Antietam  and  Fredericksburg  : 

"His  capacity  and  energy  as  an  organizer  are 
universally  recognized.  He  was  an  excellent  strategist, 
and,  in  many  respects,  an  excellent  soldier.  He  did 
not  use  his  own  troops  with  sufficient  promptness  and 
vigor  to  achieve  great  and  decisive  results,  but  he 
was  oftener  successful  than  unsuccessful  with  them  ; 
and  he  so  conducted  affairs  that  they  never  suffered 
heavily  without  inflicting  heavy  loss  upon  their  adver- 
saries. It  may  appear  a  strange  statement  to  follow  » 
the  other  matter  which  this  volume  contains,  but  it 
is  nonetheless  true,  that  there  are  strong  grounds 
for  believing  that  he  was  the  best  commander  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  ever  had."  Concluding  a  com- 
parison, that  redounds  much  to  the  credit  of  Gen- 
eral McClellan,  both  as  a  soldier  and  a  patriot,  the 
same  writer  says  : 

"  A  growing  familiarity  with  his  history  as  a 
soldier,  increases  the  disposition  to  regard  him  with 
respect  and  gratitude,  and  to  believe,  while  recogniz- 
ing the  limitations  of  his  nature,  that  his  failure  to 


BEFORE    RICHMOND.  467 

accomplish  more  was  partly  his  misfortune,  and  not 
altogether  his  fault." 

General  McClellan  knew  much  better  than  soem 
of  his  self-appointed  critics  the  numbers  and  strength 
of  the  e'nemy.  He  knew  from  the  reports  'of  the 
secret  service  that  the  general  estimate  of  the  rebel 
army  at,  and  around  Richmond,  was  far  below  their 
real  numbers. 

My  shrewd  and  daring  operatives,  men  and 
women  trained  for  the  work,  moved  in  and  out 
among  the  Rebel  troops  at  all  times  and  places. 
From  actual  observation  they  gathered  the  location, 
character  and  strength  of  their  fortifications,  and 
from  actual  count  the  estimates  were  made  of  the 
numerical  strength  of  the  opposing  army. 

Suffice  it  to  say,  that  I  knew  of  my  own  knowl- 
edge, and  General  McClellan  knew  from  the  reports 
I  laid  before  him,  the  fearful  odds  against  which  he 
had  to  contend  in  the  bravely  fought  but  disastrous 
campaign  of  the  Peninsula.* 

*  See  detailed  statement  in  Appendix.  • 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Webster's  Expedition. — His  Gallantry. — A  Stormy  Passage. — 
A  Mysterious  Package. —  Treason  Discovered  and  Pun- 
ished. 

IT  was  Christmas  morning,  in  Washington,  and 
the  bells  were  ringing  merrily  throughout  the 
city.  The  sun  was  just  peeping  over  the  hills,  and 
lighting  up  the  winter  landscape  with  a  beauty  and 
brilliancy  that  would  defy  the  skill  of  an  artist. 
Washington  was  alive  with  soldiers.  Throughout 
the  city  the  military  was  the  predominating  element, 
and  for  miles  around  the  country  was  dotted  with  the 
white  tents  that  marked  the  encampments  of  the 
country's  defenders.  Thousands  of  muskets  gleamed 
in  the  morning  light,  as  with  the  rattle  of  the  drum 
or  the  shrill  blast  of  the  bugle,  the  reveille  awoke  the 
hills  and  valleys  from  the  deathlike  silence  and  slum- 
ber of  the  night. 

The  Union  army  was  encamped  around  the 
capital,  and  General  McClellan  was  in  command. 
For  months  the  process  of  drilling  and  disciplining 
the  volunteer  troops  had  been  going  on  under  his 
watchful  eye  and  masterful  hand,  and  the  "  Army  of 
the  Potomac "  was  rapidly  approaching  a  degree  of 
[468] 


TREASON    DISCOVERED    AND    PUNISHED.  469 

efficiency  that  was  eminently  calculated  to  make  them 
formidable  adversaries  to  their  reckless  and  deter- 
mined enemies. 

This  morning,  at  my  headquarters  on  I  street, 
Timothy  Webster  was  engaged  in  completing  his 
arrangements  for  another  extended  journey  into 
Rebeldom.  By  this  time  he  had  succeeded  in 
thoroughly  ingratiating  himself  into  the  favor  of  the 
rebel  authorities,  and  at  the  War  Department  in 
Richmond  he  was  regarded  as  a  trusted  emissary  of 
the  Confederate  government. 

Upon  the  trips  which  he  had  previously  made  he 
had  carried  numerous  letters  from  Northern  residents 
to  their  secessionist  relatives  in  the  South,  and  then, 
upon  returning,  he  had  delivered  communications 
from  Southern  people  to  individuals  north  of  the  line. 
Of  course  these  letters  and  communications,  before 
being  delivered  to  the  parties  to  whom  they  were 
addressed,  were  first  submitted  to  the  inspection  of 
trusted  employees  of  my  office,  and  anything  which 
tended  to  convey  information  of  the  movements  and 
intentions  of  the  Southern  leaders  was  carefully  noted, 
and  the  Federal  authorities  duly  notified.  By  this 
means  a  double  purpose  was  served.  Webster  not 
only  won  the  entire  confidence  of  the  Southern 
authorities,  but  he  was  very  frequently  the  bearer  of 
important  dispatches,  whose  contents  were  often 
valuable  to  the  Northern  leaders. 

After  finishing  his  preparations,  Webster  came  in- 


470  TREASON    DISCOVERED 

to  my  room,  where  Mr.  Bangs  and  I  were  seated,  and 
announcing  his  readiness  to  start,  inquired  if  I  had 
any  further  orders  for  him. 

"  I  am  ready  now,  Major,"  said  he,  cheerily,  "  have 
you  any  further  commands  ?" 

"  No,  Webster,"  said  I,  "  I  believe  everything  has 
been  carefully  arranged,  and  I  have  no  commands  to 
give  except  for  you  to  take  good  care  of  yourself." 

"  I'll  try  to  do  that,"  he  replied  with  a  laugh,  and 
then,  tapping  his  breast  lightly,  where  his  letters  were 
sewed  into  the  lining  of  his  waistcoat,  "I  will  take 
care  of  my  mail  too." 

With  a  warm  clasp  of  the  hand,  and  a  hearty 
good-bye,  Webster  went  out  into  the  bright  sunlight 
and  frosty  air  of  a  winter's  morning,  and  was  soon 
lost  to  view. 

Procuring  a  conveyance,  Webster  left  Washing- 
ton, passing  the  guards  without  difficulty,  and  made 
his  way  toward  Leonardstown,  in  Maryland.  This 
journey  was  accomplished  without  event  or  accident, 
and  early  on  the  following  morning,  he  drove  up  be- 
fore the  hotel,  and  was  warmly  greeted  by  John 
Moore,  the  landlord  of  the  hostelry  at  that  place. 

This  Moore  was  a  strong  secessionist  at  heart, 
although  openly  professing  to  be  a  Union  man,  and 
regarding  Webster  as  a  Southern  emissary  his  greet- 
ing was  always  cordial,  and  his  hospitality  unstinted. 
The  air  was  cold  and  frosty,  and  riding  all  night  in  a 
stagecoach,  which  was  far  from  being  weather-proof, 


AND    PUNISHED.  47 1 

Webster  was  chilled  through  when  the  stage  stopped 
before  the  comfortable  inn  of  John  Moore.  Very 
soon,  however,  a  jug  of  steaming  punch,  and  the  gen- 
ial warmth  from  a  fire  of  crackling  logs  in  the  large 
open  fire-place,  were  instrumental  in  loosening  the 
stiffened  joints  of  my  tired  operative,  and  contribut- 
ing materially  to  his  comfort. 

"  Well,  John,"  said  Webster  at  length,  "  what  is 
the  prospect  for  crossing  the  river  to-night  ?" 

"  We  can't  cross  here  at  all  any  more,  Webster," 
replied  Moore,  with  an  oath;  "  the  damned  Yankees 
are  too  sharp  for  us." 

"  Is  there  no  way  of  getting  over  about  here  at 
all  ?"  asked  Webster,  somewhat  troubled  at  the  un- 
expected information. 

"  There's  a  way  for  some  people,"  replied  Moore 
with  a  laugh,  and  a  significant  wink,  "and  I  guess 
you  are  included  in  the  number." 

"  All  right,"  said  Webster,  immeasurably  relieved,, 
"but  how  do  we  manage  it  ?" 

"Well,"  replied  Moore,  "you  will  have  to  go  up 
to  Cob  Neck,  and  then  I  will  see  that  you  are  taken 
care  of." 

Cob  Neck  is  a  point  of  land  extending  out  from 
the  main  shore,  about  fourteen  miles  distant  from 
Leonardstown,  and  was  very  well  adapted  for  the 
purpose  in  view.  On  each  side  of  the  point,  or  neck, 
there  was  a  wide  bay  or  inlet  where  a  boat  could  put 
out,  and  the  ground,  which  was  soft  and  marshy,  was 


472  TREASON    DISCOVERED 

completely  covered  with  a  growth  of  pine  thickets 
and  underbrush,  which  prevented  the  placing  of  vigi- 
lant pickets  at  this  point.  Being  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  locality  named,  Webster  had  no  fears  of  be- 
ing able  to  get  safely  across  the  Potomac  into  Vir- 
ginia, and  then  continuing  his  way  to  the  rebel 
capital. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Moore,  "  I  have  a  favor  to 
ask  of  you,  Webster." 

"  Well,"  replied  Webster,  "  anything  I  can  do 
will  be  cheerfully  done  for  you,  Moore." 

"  I  know  that,  Webster,"  said  Moore,  heartily, 
"  and  there  is  no  one  in  the  world  I  would  rather 
oblige  than  you.  The  fact  is,  I  have  got  two  ladies 
here,  who  are  wives  of  army  officers,  now  stationed 
in  Richmond,  they  have  been  living  North  for  some 
time,  and  are  anxious  to  get  to  their  husbands  ;  they 
have  three  children  with  them,  and  I  want  you  to  take 
charge  of  the  party,  and  see  them  safely  on  their 
way." 

"  I'll  do  that  with  pleasure,"  replied  Webster, 
"  and  I'll  take  good  care  of  them,  too." 

That  night,  about  nine  o'clock,  a  close-covered 
carriage  was  driven  away  from  the  hotel,  in  the 
direction  of  Cob  Neck.  John  Moore  and  Timothy 
Webster  sat  on  the  driver's  seat,  while  within  were 
the  families  of  the  rebel  officers,  who  had  been  placed 
in  my  operative's  charge.  Reaching  their  destina- 
tion in  safety,  the  party  alighted,  and  walking  out  to 


AND    PUNISHED.  473 

the  end  of  the  point,  Moore  uttered  a  shrill  whistle, 
which  was  immediately  answered  in  the  same  manner. 
Soon  they  heard  the  splashing  of  oars,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  a  boat  was  discernable  through  the  darkness, 
and  the  voice  of  a  man  called  out : 

"  Here  I  am,  Cap'n  !  on  time,  as  ye  see." 

"All  right,  Tom,"  replied  Moore,  "I've  got  a 
party  here  that  you  must  take  good  care  of." 

"  Very  well,  Cap'n,  I'll  do  the  best  I  can,  but  I'm 
afraid  the  wind  ain't  right  for  landin'  on  t'other  side." 

"  Well,"  said  Moore,  "  you  must  do  your  best,  and 
I  guess  you  will  get  over  all  right." 

The  night  was  dark  and  cold,  the  wind  was  blow- 
ing sharp  and  chill,  and  heavy  clouds  were  shifting 
overhead.  The  river  was  running  swiftly,  and  was  of 
that  inky  blackness  that  invariably  presages  a  storm. 
The  wind  through  the  low  pines  was  sighing  like  a 
human  being  in  distress,  and  the  ladies  gazed  fear- 
fully and  shudderingly  at  the  dark  waters  and  the 
frail  craft  which  was  to  carry  them  to  the  opposite 
shore.  Webster  uttered  words  of  courage  and 
assurance  to  the  shrinking  ladies,  and  assisted  in  com- 
fortably bestowing  them  in  the  boat,  and  then,  with  a 
parting  salutation  to  John  Moore,  the  boat  pushed  off 
from  the  shore. 

After  getting  clear  of  the  land  they  hoisted  sail, 
and  were  soon  flying  rapidly  over  the  water,  before 
the  driving  wind.  As  the  wind  was  against  them, 
they  were  obliged  to  make  short  and  frequent  tacks, 


474  TREASON    DISCOVERED 

and  thus  their  approach  to  the  opposite  shore  was 
accomplished  by  slow  and  labored  degrees.  The 
ladies  were  huddled  together  in  the  stern,  clasping 
their  frightened  children  nervously  in  their  arms, 
while  Webster,  active  and  alert,  rendered  such  assist- 
ance in  managing  the  boat  as  was  in  his  power. 

"  The  storm's  coming  !"  shouted  the  boatman, 
after  a  long  silence,  "  and  the  women  had  better  cover 
up." 

The  storm  came,  sure  enough.  A  blinding  rain, 
icy  cold,  which  beat  pitilessly  down  upon  the  unpro- 
tected voyagers,  while  the  little  vessel  rocked  to  and 
fro  at  the  mercy  of  the  dashing  waves.  The  wind 
suddenly  changed,  the  frail  yacht  gave  a  sudden 
lurch,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  keel  of  the  boat  was 
heard  scraping  upon  the  bottom  of  the  river,  and  they 
were  aground.  They  had  been  blown  out  of  their 
course,  and  had  drifted  into  the  shallow  water,  a  mile 
below  their  landing  place,  and  within  a  hundred  feet 
of  the  shore. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  Webster  bade  the 
boatman  lower  his  sail,  and  then,  jumping  into  the 
water,  which  was  waist  deep,  and  as  cold  as  ice,  he 
took  two  of  the  children  in  his  strong  arms,  and  carried 
them  safely  to  the  river-bank.  Returning  again,  he 
assisted  in  carrying  the  ladies  and  the  remaining 
child  ashore,  although  he  was  so  chilled  that  his  lips 
were  blue  and  his  knees  knocked  together  with  the 
cold.  The  nearest  place  of  shelter  was  a  mile  away, 


AND    PUNISHED.  475 

but  unmindful  of  the  cold  and  the  pelting  storm, 
Webster  cheered  his  companions  by  his  hearty  words, 
and  bidding  the  boatman  take  care  of  one  of  the 
children,  he  picked  up  another,  and  the  weary  party 
set  out  to  walk  through  the  icy  rain  to  the  little  hut, 
whose  welcome  light  was  gleaming  in  the  distance. 

Thanks  to  a  flask  of  good  brandy,  which  Webster 
fortunately  had  with  him,  the  ladies  were  strength- 
ened and  sustained  sufficiently  to  make  the  journey  ; 
and  when  they  arrived  at  last  at  the  comfortable 
cabin,  their  words  of  gratitude  to  Webster  were 
heartily  and  unstintingly  uttered. 

After  warming  themselves  before  the  fire,  and 
drying  their  drenched  and  dripping  garments  as  far 
as  practicable,  the  ladies  retired  to  another  room, 
leaving  Webster,  who,  overcome  with  fatigue,  was 
obliged  to  sleep  in  his  wet  clothing  in  the  room  to 
which  they  were  first  admitted.  Unmindful  of  him- 
self, however,  his  only  solicitude  was  for  the  ladies 
who  had  been  placed  in  his  charge,  and  after  they 
had  been  comfortably  disposed  of,  he  prepared  to 
take  his  own  much-needed  rest. 

He  spread  a  blanket  before  the  roaring  blaze,  and 
was  about  to  stretch  his  weary  limbs  upon  it,  when 
he  noticed,  lying  upon  the  floor,  a  short  distance 
from  him,  a  small  packet,  wrapped  in  oiled-cloth,  and 
tied  with  red  tape.  It  had  evidently  been  dropped 
by  one  of  the  ladies,  and  its  loss  had  escaped  her 
notice.  Picking  it  up,  he  examined  it  carefully  by 


476  TREASON    DISCOVERED 

the  light  of  the  fire,  and  to  his  surprise  he  found  that 
it  was  directed  to  Mr.  Benjamin,  the  Rebel  Secretary 
of  War.  As  "all  things  are  fair  in  love  and  war," 
Timothy  lost  no  time  in  secreting  the  precious  docu- 
ment about  his  own  person.  He  had  no  objection  at 
all  to  assisting  two  ladies  to  reach  their  husbands, 
even  if  they  were  enemies ;  but  he  objected  decidedly 
to  lend  his  aid  to  the  forwarding  of  dangerous  in- 
formation to  those  who  were  fighting  against  the 
cause  he  held  so  dear.  His  conscience,  therefore, 
gave  him  but  little  uneasiness  as  he  pocketed  the 
mysterious  little  packet,  and  with  the  resolve  to  dis- 
cover its  contents  on  the  morrow,  he  stretched  himself 
before  the  burning  logs,  and  was  soon  sound  asleep. 

The  next  morning,  when  he  arose,  his  clothing 
was  dry,  but  he  experienced  acute  pains  in  his  limbs, 
and  a  sense  of  weariness,  that  boded  no  good  to  his 
•physical  condition.  Ignoring  his  own  ailments,  how- 
ever, he  busied  himself  in  securing  the  comfort  of  his 
charges,  and  after  a  hearty  breakfast,  the  party  set 
out  upon  their  trip  to  Richmond.  They  traveled  for 
several  miles  in  an  ox-cart,  and  then  by  team,  to  a 
place  called  Hop  Yard  Wharf,  on  the  Rappahannock 
River.  Here  the  party  embarked  on  a  steamboat, 
and  traveled  as  far  as  Fredericksburg,  where  Webster 
was  obliged  to  remain  for  two  days,  owing  to  an  acute 
attack  of  rheumatism,  which  was  caused  by  his  ex- 
posure in  behalf  of  the  ladies,  whose  safety  he  had 
undertaken  to  insure.  At  this  time  he  received  a 


AND    PUNISHED,  477 

striking  illustration  of  the  gratitude  which  one  earns 
by  the  performance  of  a  kindly  act  of  self-sacrifice. 
No  sooner  had  the  boat  landed  at  Fredericksburg, 
than  these  ladies  expressed  their  impatient  desire  to 
push  on  directly  to  the  rebel  capital.  Notwith- 
standing Webster's  precarious  condition,  the  danger 
in  leaving  him  alone,  and  the  fact  that  his  sufferings 
had  been  occasioned  by  his  efforts  in  their  behalf, 
these  high-toned  Southern  dames,  intent  only  upon 
their  selfish  pleasures,  left  him  to  his  own  resources, 
and  without  displaying  the  slightest  interest  in  his 
welfare  they  weivt  their  way,  and  Webster,  unable  to 
move  himself,  was  obliged  to  depend  upon  the  services 
of  absolute  strangers,  for  that  care  and  attention  of 
which  he  stood  in  so  much  need. 

It  was  while  he  was  detained  at  Fredericksburg, 
that  he  seized  the  opportunity  of  examining  the  pack- 
age, which  had  come  into  his  possession  in  the  little 
cabin  at  Monroe's  Creek.  Removing  the  enfolding 
wrappers,  he  discovered  that  the  contents  of  the  bun- 
dle were  complete  maps  of  the  country  surrounding 
Washington,  with  a  correct  statement  of  the  number 
and  location  of  the  Federal  troops.  Several  items  of 
information  were  also  conveyed,  in  regard  to  the 
probable  intentions  of  the  Union  Commanders  in 
the  coming  spring.  From  the  nature  of  this  informa- 
tion, it  was  evident  that  a  trusted  officer  of  the 
Federal  government  was  unfaithful  to  his  duty,  and 
was  assisting  the  enemies  of  the  country.  Webster 


478  TREASON    DISCOVERED 

congratulated  himself  upon  the  lucky  chance  which 
had  thrown  this  little  packet  in  his  way,  and  he  re- 
solved to  forward  the  same  to  me  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity that  occurred. 

On  the  second  day,  though  suffering  severely,  he 
was  able  to  resume  his  journey,  and  taking  the  train 
at  Fredericksburg  he  was  soon  approaching  the  City 
of  Richmond.  Immediately  upon  his  arrival,  he  re- 
paired to  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  de- 
livered the  letters  which  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  North,  and  which  were  to  be  forwarded  to 
their  various  addresses  by  the  Confederate  authorities. 
Mr.  Benjamin  warmly  congratulated  Webster  upon 
his  success  in  passing  through  the  Union  lines,  and 
for  the  information  which  he  brought.  He  furnished 
him  with  passports,  which  would  enable  him  to  journey 
unrestricted  and  unquestioned  throughout  the  South- 
ern dominions,  and  requested  a  further  interview  at 
a  later  day. 

Leaving  the  War  Department,  he  went  to  the 
Monumental  Hotel,  where  he  engaged  a  room  for 
himself,  and  where  he  found  Mrs.  Lawton,  who  had 
remained  in  the  city  during  his  absence.  Mrs.  Law- 
ton  informed  Webster  that  she  had  just  received  a 
visit  from  Mr.  Stanton,  another  of  my  operatives, 
who  had  arrived  in  Richmond  from  Nashville,  Tenn., 
and  that  he  was  going  to  attempt  to  leave  for  Wash- 
ington that  night. 

This  was  a  lucky  chance,   and  Webster  resolved 


AND    PUNISHED.  479 

to  see  Stanton,  and  entrust  to  him  the  conveyance  of 
the  packet  that  had  so  fortunately  come  into  his 
hands.  Knowing  the  places  at  which  he  would  be 
most  apt  to  be  found,  he  made  a  tour  of  the  city,  and 
was  at  length  fortunate  enough  to  discover  the  man 
he  was  in  search  of.  Selecting  a  secluded  place, 
Webster  confided  his  package  to  Stanton,  instructing 
him  to  deliver  it  to  no  one  but  myself  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, and  then,  feeling  the  need  of  rest,  he 
went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  shortly  afterward  retired 
to  bed.  The  next  day  he  was  unable  to  move.  His 
sufferings  were  excruciating,  and  for  weeks  he  was 
compelled  to  endure  the  agonies  of  an  acute  attack 
of  inflammatory  rheumatism,  which  confined  him  a 
prisoner  to  his  bed. 

Leaving  Webster  at  the  Monumental  Hotel,  we 
will  return  to  the  movements  of  my  operative,  who 
had  been  delegated  to  deliver  the  package  which 
Webster  had  found.  Mr.  Stanton  arrived  safely  in 
Washington,  and  after  rendering  a  report  of  his  own 
observations  upon  his  journey  from  Nashville  to 
Washington,  he  produced  this  packet  of  Webster's,  a 
careful  examination  of  its  contents  revealed  to  me 
the  author  of  the  treasonable  communications. 

His  name  was  James  Howard,  a  native  of  the 
South,  and  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Provost-Marshal's 
office.  I  had  frequently  seen  his  handwriting,  and 
knew  it  perfectly.  There  could  be  no  possibility  of 
mistake  about  this,  and  I  lost  no  time  in  laying  before 


4So  TREASON    DISCOVERED     AND    PUNISHED. 

the  commanding  officer,  the  proof  of  the  suspected 
man's  guilt.  Howard  was  confronted  with  the  evi- 
dence against  him,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  deny 
the  truth,  he  confessed  his  treason,  and  implicated 
several  others  in  the  conspiracy.  Before  the  shades 
of  night  had  fallen  over  the  tented  city,  James  How- 
ard, and  his  treasonable  confederates,  were  placed 
within  the  enfolding  walls  of  the  old  capital  prison, 
and  behind  iron  bars  were  left  to  meditate  upon  the 
heavy  price  they  had  paid  for  an  attempt  to  betray 
their  country. 


"  HAIL    COLUMBIA  !" 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Activity  in    Washington. —  Webster  s   Journey    Through  The 
South. — His  Return  to  the  Capital. 

DURING  the  month  of  January,  1862,  I  was 
actively  engaged  in  the  city  of  Washington. 
With  a  part  of  my  force,  I  was  acting  in  conjunction 
with  General  Andrew  Porter,  the  Provost-Marshal  of 
the  district,  while  the  remaining  portion  was  assisting 
General  McClellan  in  obtaining  reliable  information 
about  the  topography  of  the  Southern  country,  and  of 
the  number  and  disposition  of  the  Southern  troops. 

Almost  every  day  witnessed  some  incident  of  im- 
portance to  the  national  cause,  and  my  time  was  fully 
occupied  with  the  numerous  and  responsible  duties 
which  necessarily  devolved  upon  me.  Mr.  George 
H.  Bangs,  who  is  now  the  general  superintendent  of 
my  agencies,  was  detailed  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
army,  while  I  remained  in  charge  of  my  office  on  "  I  " 
street,  although  I  was  kept  fully  informed  by  daily 
reports  of  whatever  transpired  at  both  places.  As 
may  readily  be  imagined,  my  office  was  no  sinecure. 
Many  times  I  was  obliged  to  deprive  myself  of 
needed  rest  and  sleep,  engaged  in  laborious  duties 

31  [48iJ 


482  WEBSTER'S    JOURNEY 

from  early  morn  far  into  the  waking  hours  of  the 
succeeding  day,  and  for  weeks  scarcely  obtaining  a 
peaceful  night's  slumber.  The  capital  was  filled  with 
suspicious  personages,  with  Southern  spies,  and  their 
Northern  allies,  and  frequently  officers  of  the  govern- 
ment, holding  elevated  positions,  would  be  discovered 
in  secret,  but  active  correspondence  with  the  rebel 
authorities.  Arrests  were  numerous,  and  the  search- 
ing of  suspected  premises  of  almost  daily  occurrence, 
while  the  large  number  of  men  employed  by  me  re- 
quired constant  and  unceasing  personal  surveillance. 

In  the  army  it  was  astonishing  what  rapid  prog- 
ress had  been  made  in  drilling  and  disciplining  the 
large,  and,  for  the  most  part,  untried  force  of  soldiery. 
The  commanding  general  was  engaged  in  perfecting 
his  plans  for  a  campaign  against  Richmond,  and  in 
order  to  do  this  intelligently,  much  information  was 
required  of  the  condition  of  the  country  through 
which  the  army  must  pass,  and  of  the  number  of  the 
enemy  he  would  be  likely  to  encounter.  The  obsta- 
cles that  must  be  overcome,  the  defenses  which 
would  impede  his  passage,  and  all  the  minutia  of 
war-like  particularities,  were  mainly  left  to  be  dis- 
covered by  the  men  in  the  secret  service  department, 
of  which  I  was  the  authorized  leader,  and  responsi- 
ble head.  Engaged  in  these  duties  the  month  of 
January  passed  away.  Numerous  operatives  had 
been  dispatched  into  the  hostile  country  before  us, 
and  had  made  their  examinations,  and  returned,  con- 


THROUGH    THE    SOUTH.  483 

veying  to  me  and  to  the  commanding  general  items  of 
valuable  information  which  could  have  been  obtained 
in  no  other  way. 

We  will  now  follow  the  movements  of  Timothy 
Webster,  whom  we  left  in  Richmond  struggling  with 
his  old  and  relentless  enemy,  the  rheumatism. 

After  a  painful  confinement  to  his  bed  for  nearly 
a  week,  he  was  at  last  able  to  move  about  once  more, 
and  in  a  few  days  thereafter  was  strong  enough  to 
uundertake  a  journey  which  he  had  been  contemplat- 
ing for  some  time. 

In  company  with  one  of  the  largest  contractors 
for  the  rebel  government,  he  left  Richmond  for  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee.  Mr.  Campbell,  the  contractor,  was 
engaged  in  the  purchaser  of  leather  and  desirous  of 
purchasing  directly  from  the  tanner,  instead  of  de- 
pending upon  the  dealers,  who  might  not  be  able  to 
supply  him  in  such  quantities  as  he  required.  Trav- 
eling w'th  this  gentleman,  and  armed  as  he  was, 
with  an  all  powerful  passport  from  the  Secretary  of 
War,  Webster  would  have  every  opportunity  for 
making  his  observations  without  incurring  the  slight- 
est suspicion.  During  this  journey  he  traveled 
through  Knoxville,  Chattanooga  and  Nashville,  in 
Tennessee,  then  to  Bowling  Green,  in  Kentucky,  and 
then,  on  his  return,  he  passed  through  Manassas  and 
Centreville,  carefully  noting  in  his  passage  through 
the  country  the  number  and  condition  of  the  various 
troops,  the  number  and  extent  of  batteries  and  forti- 


484  WEBSTER'S    JOURNEY. 

fications,  and  eliciting  an  amount  of  information  that 
seemed  wonderful  for  one  man  to  accomplish.  He 
made  the  acquaintance  of  commanding  officers,  and 
conversed  unreservedly  with  them  upon  the  various 
matters  connected  with  their  divisions,  and  their 
movements,  present  and  perspective.  He  carefully 
examined  the  fortifications  that  had  been  erected,  and 
the  number  of  guns  they  contained.  He  talked  with 
the  private  soldier  and  the  civilian,  and  in  fact,  on 
his  return  to  Richmond,  was  as  well  informed  with  re- 
gard to  the  military  resources  of  the  enemy  as  were 
the  generals  themselves.  Rejoiced  at  his  success, 
and  carefully  noting  what  he  had  witnessed,  Webster 
prepared  to  return  North. 

Visiting  the  War  Department  and  the  office  of 
the  Provost-Marshal,  he  received  from  Mr.  Benjamin 
and  General  Winder  a  large  number  of  letters  and 
several  important  commissions,  which  were  to  be 
delivered  and  attended  to  after  he  should  arrive  in 
Washington  and  Baltimore. 

Leaving  Richmond,  he  safely  passed  the  pickets 
and  outposts  of  both  Federals  and  rebels,  and 
reported  to  me.  His  trip  had  been  a  most  important 
and  successful  one,  and  the  information  he  brought 
was  most  invaluable.  Webster  seemed  as  well 
pleased  at  his  success  as  were  either  General 
McClellan  or  myself,  and  after  a  short  rest  announced 
himself  as  quite  prepared  to  make  another  journey  to 
the  South,  whenever  his  services  should  be  required. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Webster1  s  Last  Mission. — Anxiety  at  his  Long  Absence. — No 
Tidings  of  the  Faithful  Scout. — Operatives  Sent  in 
Search  of  him. —  Webster  III  in  Richmond. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  January,  1862,  another  packet 
of  rebel  mail  matter  had  accumulated,  and  the 
various  articles,  which  Webster  had  agreed  to  pur- 
chase for  the .  residents  of  Richmond  and  vicinity, 
were  ready  for  delivery,  and  Webster  prepared  him- 
self for  another  journey  into  the  South.  While  in 
Washington  he  had  not  experienced  any  painful 
reminders  of  his  old  disease,  and  he  was  impatient  to 
be  actively  employed  once  more. 

Accordingly,  everything  was  arranged  for  his  trip, 
and  early  one  bright  winter's  morning  he  came,  as 
was  his  custom,  to  bid  me  farewell. 

I  often  recall,  and  with  an  emotion  that  I  cannot 
control,  the  appearance  of  Timothy  Webster,  as  I 
saw  him  that  day.  Brave,  strong  and  manly,  he 
stood  before  me.  The  merry  twinkle  in  his  eyes  seemed 
to  belie  the  sternness  of  the  set  lips,  which  were  even 
now  curved  with  a  smile  of  good  humor.  No  trace 
of  fear  or  hesitancy  was  apparent  in  his  manner. 
He  seemed  to  be  animated  solely  by  an  earnest  desire 

[485] 


486  ANXIETY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

to  serve  his  country  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He 
well  knew,  as  did  I,  that  his  journey  lay  through  a 
hostile  country;  that  danger  was  lurking  everywhere 
around  him,  and  that  if  his  true  character  was  discov- 
ered, the  consequences  would,  no  doubt,  prove  fatal  to 
him.  Notwithstanding  this,  there  was  no  quivering  of 
the  compact  muscles,  the  hand  that  grasped  mine  was 
as  firm  as  iron,  and  the  brave  heart  that  throbbed  in  his 
bosom  was  insensible  alike  to  a  thought  of  shrinking, 
or  a  desire  to  evade,  the  responsibility  that  devolved 
upon  him. 

After  a  few  words  of  necessary  caution  and  with 
good  wishes  for  his  welfare  and  safe  return,  Timothy 
Webster  took  his  departure,  and  went  his  way.  I 
did  not  know  then  that  I  had  looked  upon  his  face 
and  manly  form  for  the  last  time,  and  no  hint  or 
warning  of  his  subsequent  fate  came  to  me  as  I  sat 
watching  his  retreating  figure.  But  to  this  day,  I  can 
picture  him  with  sentiments  of  pride,  in  his  valor  and 
services,  and  regrets,  deep  and  heartfelt,  for  the  brave 
man  who  but  a  few  months  afterwards  laid  down  his 
life  for  his  country. 

For  some  time  previous  to  this  journey  of  Web- 
ster's, Mrs.  Lawton  had  been  located  at  Leonards- 
town,  where  she  had  assiduously  cultivated  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  most  important  people  in  that  local- 
ity, whose  sympathies  were  with  the  Southern  cause, 
and  whose  assistance  to  Webster  and  herself  would 
be  valuable  in  time  of  need. 


LONG    ABSENCE.  487 

Among  this  number  was  a  man  whose  name  was 
Washington  Gough,  a  wealthy  secessionist,  who  was 
one  of  the  most  active  in  his  efforts  to  assist  the 
Southern  blockade-runners  in  crossing  over  into  Vir- 
ginia, and  in  eluding  the  watchfulness  of  the  Federal 
pickets.  Through  her  acquaintance  with  this  man, 
Mrs.  Lawton  was  enabled  to  acquire  much  valuable 
information  from  those  who  sought  the  aid  of  Mr. 
Gough  in  obtaining  the  facilities  for  reaching  the 
rebel  lines  in  safety. 

With  Gough,  Webster  was  a  prime  favorite,  and 
so  thoroughly  had  my  operative  ingratiated  himself 
into  the  favorable  opinion  of  this  rebel  gentleman, 
that  any  service  which  would  be  required  would  be 
performed  without  question  or  delay.  Mrs.  Lawton 
was  invited  to  make  the  house  of  Gough  her  home, 
while  in  Leonardstown,  and  by  her  charms  of  mnaner 
and  conversation  proved  a  powerful  ally  to  Webster 
in  the  discovery  of  important  secrets  relating  to  the 
movements  and  intentions  of  the  enemy. 

Webster's  footing  with  the  rebel  authorities  was 
also  firmly  established,  and  every  one  of  them  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact  yielded  to  the  magic  of  his 
blandishments  and  was  disposed  to  serve  him  when- 
ever possible. 

An  event  which  happened  about  this  time  fully 
justified  this  assertion.  It  appeared  that  during 
Webster's  absence  from  Leonardstown,  a  gentleman 
by  the  name  of  Camilear  had  crossed  over  the  river. 


488  ANXIETY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

and  although  a  noted  secessionist  in  his  own  immedi- 
ate vicinity,  was  not  known  to  any  one  upon  the 
other  side  of  the  water.  He  was  accordingly  arrested 
and  placed  in  confinement.  The  appeals  of  his 
friends  and  relatives  were  unavailing  in  securing  his 
release,  and  the  captive  chafed  terribly  under  the 
burden  of  his  captivity.  At  length,  on  Webster's  ap- 
pearance, the  matter  was  presented  to  him,  and  he 
was  entreated  by  Camilear's  relatives  to  intercede  in 
his  behalf.  He  promised  to  do  so,  and  indited  a  let- 
ter to  the  officer  who  had  the  prisoner  in  charge,  re- 
questing his  release,  and  giving  assurances  of  the 
man's  fealty  to  the  Confederate  government.  In  a 
few  days  the  prisoner  was  returned  to  his  home,  and 
was  informed  by  the  officer,  that  only  the  protesta- 
tions made  by  Webster  had  been  sufficient  to  accom- 
plish his  release.  From  the  highest  to  the  lowest, 
the  confidence  in  W.ebster  was  universal. 

On  this  last  mentioned  trip  Webster  decided  to 
take  Mrs.  Lawton  with  him,  and  having  obtained  my 
sanction  to  his  proposition,  he  journeyed  to  Leon- 
ardstown  and  communicated  his  wishes  to  the  lady, 
who  was  nothing  loath  to  accompany  him.  They 
accordingly  made  their  preparations,  and  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night  they  made  their  way  to  the  river- 
bank  where  an  oyster  boat  was  in  waiting  to  cross  the 
river.  Mrs.  Lawton  wore  an  overcoat  and  felt  hat 
belonging  to  Webster,  and  to  a  casual  observer  ap- 
peared very  masculine  in  her  habiliments.  The  river 


}LONG    ABSENCE.  489 

was  entirely  clear  of  vessels,  and  the  journey  was 
made  in  perfect  safety.  As  they  neared  the  opposite 
bank  the  moon  shone  out  brightly;  and  revealed  the 
"pungy"  to  the  rebel  pickets,  who  were  known  by 
Webster,  and  from  whom  he  expected  no  interference 
or  opposition. 

The  lights  on  shore  revealed  the  stations  of  these 
pickets,  and  as  they  were  expecting  his  return  Web- 
ster called  out  loudly  :  "  Pickets  !  Pickets  !  !" 

There  was  no  response  to  this  call,  and  to  his 
dismay  the  lights  were  suddenly  extingiushed.  The 
boatman  was  greatly  frightened  at  this  proceeding, 
and  was  in  momentary  dread  of  being  fired  upon  ; 
but  Webster  reassured  him,  and  continued  his  loud, 
but  ineffectual  calls  for  the  guard. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  attract  the  attention  of 
those  who  should  have  been  upon  the  lookout  for 
him,  Webster  assisted  the  boatman  in  landing  their 
trunks,  after  which  the  "  pungy  "  was  pushed  off  from 
the  shore,  and  soon  afterwards  disappeared  in  the 
darkness. 

Webster  and  his  companion  wandered  about  for 
more  than  an  hour,  and  it  was  nearly  midnight  when 
they  came  to  a  farm  house,  where  their  approach 
was  heralded  by  the  loud  barking  of  numerous  dogs, 
who  were  aroused  by  the  unwonted  presence  of 
human  beings,  and  were  diposed  to  resent  their  ap- 
proach. 

The  noise  of  the  dogs  brought  the  farmer  to  his 


490  ANXIETY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

door,  who  demanded,  in  no  very  gentle  terms,  to 
know  who  they  were,  and  what  had  brought  them 
there  at  that  unseasonable  hour.  In  a  few  words 
Webster  explained  the  situation,  and  the  genial 
farmer  bade  them  welcome,  and  safely  bestowed  them 
for  the  night. 

They  had  scarcely  retired,  when  they  were  aroused 
by  a  loud  knocking  at  the  door,  which  was  discovered 
to  have  been  made  by  the  pickets  from  the  adjoining 
camp,  who  demanded  to  know  who  the  new-comers 
were,  and  stated  that  they  had  been  ordered  to  bring 
them  immediately  before  an  officer  of  the  guard,  two 
miles  away. 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  them  that,  when  they  called 
out  to  you  before  ?"  inquired  the  farmer,  in  a  con- 
temptuous tone. 

"  Well  we  did  not  know  who  they  were,"  answered 
the  leader  of  the  party,  "  and  we  did  not  think  it  was 
safe." 

"  Oho !  you  were  afraid  of  them,  were  you,  and 
ran  away?" 

At  this  point,  Webster,  who  had  heard  the  con- 
versation, made  his  appearance  at  the  door,  and 
demanded  to  know  what  was  wanted. 

The  leader  of  the  guard  again  explained  his  mis- 
sion, and  demanded  that  Webster  should  accompany 
him  to  the  camp. 

"  Tell  your  commander  that  I  will  not  stir  from 
this  house  until  morning.  My  name  is  Timothy 


.LONG    ABSENCE.  491 

Webster.  I  am  in  the  employ  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  if  you  had  answered  my  call,  there  would  have 
been  no  difficulty." 

Finding  that  Webster  was  determined;  the  men 
went  away,  and  left  the  household  to  their  -repose. 
The  next  morning  Webster  reported  at  the  camp, 
and  requested  to  see  Major  Beale,  the  officer  in  com- 
mand. He  was  informed,  that  this  gentleman  was 
stationed  twenty  miles  away,  and  upon  telegraphing 
to  him,  the  answer  was  returned  :  •"  Let  Webster  go 
where  he  pleases." 

The  day  was  cold  and  stormy,  and  the  roads  were 
in  a  wretched  condition,  but  notwithstanding  this 
Webster  pushed  on  to  Fredericksburg,  and  after  de- 
livering some  letters  and  merchandise  which  he  had 
brought  for  residents  there,  he  pushed  on  to  Rich- 
mond. 

Taking  up  their  quarters  at  the  hotel,  they  re- 
solved to  wait  until  the  following  day  before 
commencing  their  operations.  During  the  night, 
however,  Webster's  malady  returned,  and  he  suffered 
terribly  from  his  old  enemy,  the  rheumatism.  In  the 
morning  he  was  helpless,  and  unable  to  move. 

From  this  time,  I  heard  nothing  further  from  him 
directly,  and  for  weeks  was  utterly  ignorant  of  his 
movements  or  condition.  I  began  to  grow  alarmed. 
Hitherto,  his  visits  had  not  occupied  more  than  three 
or  four  weeks,  and  he  had  always  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing suspicion,  and  evading  being  detained  by  either 


492  ANXIETY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

force  through  which  he  would  necessarily  be  obliged 
to  pass.  As  the  days  and  weeks  passed,  and  brought 
no  tidings  from  him,  my  apprehensions  became  so 
strong  that  I  resolved  to  send  one  or  two  of  my  men 
to  the  rebel  capital,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  cause 
of  his  unusual  and  long-continued  absence. 

My  anxiety  was  equally  shared  by  General 
McClellan,  with  whom  Webster  was  a  great  favorite, 
and  who  placed  the  utmost  reliance  upon  his  re- 
ports. One  evening,  early  in  February,  the  General 
called  upon  me,  and  advised  the  sending  of  one  mes- 
senger, or  two,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  hunting  up 
Webster,  or  discovering  some  trace  of  him.  I  in- 
formed him  that  I  had  already  considered  the  neces- 
sity of  some  such  action,  and  was  upon  the  point  of 
submitting  the  matter  for  his  approval.  Finding  the 
General  thus  fully  in  accord  with  the  proposition,  I 
at  once  selected  two  of  my  men  for  this  important 
mission.  After  mature  consideration,  I  decided  upon 
despatching  Price  Lewis  and  John  Scully  upon  this 
delicate  quest.  My  reasons  for  this  selection,  were 
that  both  Scully  and  Lewis  had  been  connected  with 
other  operations  in  Baltimore,  in  company  with  Web- 
ster, and  had  thus  been  enabled  to  form  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  great  number  of  secessionists  in  that  city, 
some  of  whom  had  gone  South,  while  others,  who 
remained  at  home,  had  influential  friends  in  Rich- 
mond. During  these  operations,  both  Lewis  and 
Scully  had  pretended  the  most  earnest  and  sincere 


LONG    ABSENCE.  493 

sympathy  for  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy,  and  were 
known  as  ardent  secessionists.  This,  I  concluded, 
would  materially  assist  them  after  reaching  Richmond, 
particularly  if  they  should  be  fortunate  enough  to 
meet  any  of  their  old  Baltimore  associates.  They  had 
also  been  engaged  upon  various  investigations  through 
the  Southern  States,  and  especially  in  Western  Vir- 
ginia, where  they  had  rendered  good  service  in  the 
early  campaigns  in  that  section  of  the  country.  I  had, 
therefore,  no  doubt  of  their  ability  to  perform  the 
task  assigned  to  them,  and  felt  perfectly  satisfied  that 
they  would  perform  their  duties  to  the  best  of  that 
ability. 

Requesting  their  presence  in  my  private  office,  I 
broached  the  matter  to  them,  and  submitted  the 
question  of  their  undertaking  this  task  to  their  own 
election.  Upon  operations  of  this  kind,  where  there 
was  danger  to  be  incurred,  where  a  man  literally  took 
his  life  into  his  own  hands,  and  where  death  might  be 
the  result  of  detection,  I  invariably  placed  the  ques- 
tion upon  its  merits,  before  the  person  selected  for 
the  mission,  and  then  allowed  him  to  decide  for  him- 
self, whether  he  would  voluntarily  undertake  its 
accomplishment. 

I  did  this  for  various  reasons.  In  the  first  place, 
I  felt  very  loath  to  peremptorily  order  a  man  upon 
an  enterprize  where  there  was  every  possibility  of 
danger,  for  in  the  event  of  fatal  result,  I  should  be 
disposed  to  reproach  myself  for  thus  endangering  the 


494  ANXIERY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

lives  of  those  under  my  command.  It  is  true,  that 
under  their  terms  of  service,  and  by  virtue  of  the 
authority  vested  in  me,  I  had  the  undoubted  right  to 
issue  such  order ;  but  I  always  preferred  that  my  men 
should  voluntarily,  and  without  urging,  signify  their 
willingness  to  undertake  hazardous  missions.  Again, 
I  have  invariably  found,  that  the  ready  and  cheerful 
officer  performs  the  most  acceptable  service,  and  that 
the  absence  of  fear  or  hesitation  are  sure  passports 
to  success ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  should  there  be 
timidity  or  unwillingness,  or  a  disposition  to  avoid 
danger,  success  is  rarely,  if  ever,  attained. 

It  is  but  just,  however,  to  state  that  during  my 
entire  connection  with  the  secret  service  of  the  gov- 
ernment, I  never  found  any  of  my  men  disinclined  to 
undertake  an  operation  that  was  delegated  to  them  ; 
but  on  the  contrary,  I  always  experienced  the  utmost 
cheerfulness  and  ready  support  from  those  who  so 
valiantly  served  under  my  orders.  Nor  was  I  dis- 
appointed in  the  present  instance.  On  presenting 
the  case,  with  all  its  attendant  dangers,  to  Price 
Lewis  and  John  Scully,  both  of  them  signified,  with- 
out the  slightest  hesitation,  their  voluntary  desire  to 
go  to  Richmond,  and  to  make  the  inquiries,  which 
were  considered  of  so  much  importance  by  both 
General  McClelkm  and  myself. 

But  few  instructions,  and  very  little  preparation, 
were  required  for  this  journey,  and  in  the  afternoon 
both  men  were  prepared  to  start.  I  did  not  deem  it  ad- 


LONG    ABSENCE.  495 

visable  to  provide  them  with  any  goods,  as  was  some- 
times the  case,  in  order  to  furnish  an  excuse  for  their 
blockade-running  experiences,  for  the  reason  that 
their  journey  would  be  much  delayed,  owing  to  the 
impassability  of  many  of  the  roads.  I  did,  however, 
cause  a  letter  to  be  written,  apparently  by  a  rebel 
spy,  then  in  Washington,  and  which  was  directed  to 
Webster.  This  letter  introduced  the  two  men  .to 
Webster  as  friends  of  the  South,  and  informed  him 
that  his  old  route  back  was  no  longer  a  safe  one, 
owing  to  the  presence  of  Federal  troops  in  that 
locality,  and  advising  him  to  select  some  other  and 
less  hazardous  one  on  his  return  to  Washington.  I 
did  this  to  guard  against  their  being  suspected  and 
detained  after  reaching  the  rebel  lines,  as,  upon 
presenting  this,  they  would  at  once  be  known  as 
Southern  emissaries,  and  given  safe  conduct  to  the 
capital.  Provided  with  this  letter,  and  with  full 
verbal  instructions  as  to  their  manner  of  proceeding, 
they  started  from  Washington  late  on  the  evening  of 
the  1 4th  of  February.  As  an  additional  safeguard,  I 
sent  along  with  them  an  operative  by  the  name  of 
William  H.  Scott,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
various  Federal  commanders,  and  who  was  to  see 
them  safely  across  the  Potomac  river. 

The  three  men  departed  in  good  spirits,  and, 
though  fully  conscious  of  the  danger  before  them, 
thoroughly  resolved  to  successfully  accomplish  what 
they  had  undertaken. 


496  ANXIETY    AT     WEBSTER'S 

Prior  to  despatching  these  men,  I  had  some  mis- 
givings that  there  might  be  still  remaining  in  Rich- 
mond some  of  those  families  who,  while  residing  in 
Washington,  had  been  suspected  of  sympathizing 
with,  or  furthering  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
whose  papers  had  been  seized,  and  themselves  trans- 
ported beyond  the  lines.  Among  the  most  noted  of 
these  were  the  families  of  Mrs.  Phillips,  of  South 
Carolina,  and  of  Mrs.  Ex-Gov.  Morton,  of  Florida, 
who  had  been  residing  in  Richmond  for  a  short  time. 
To  satisfy  myself  upon  this  point,  I  made  extensive 
inquiries  from  deserters,  refugees  and  contrabands, 
and  learned,  from  a  variety  of  sources,  that  Mrs. 
Phillips  had  gone  to  Charleston,  and  that  Mrs. 
Morton  and  her  family  had  departed  for  their  home 
in  Florida.  Believing  my  information  to  be  reliable, 
I  felt  reassured,  and  then  the  men  were  selected. 

While  these  men  were  making  their  way  to  Rich- 
mond, Webster  was  suffering  excruciating  pain,  con- 
fined to  his  bed,  and  unable  to  move.  During  all 
this  time,  he  was  carefully  attended  and  nursed  by  my 
resident  operative,  Mrs.  Hattie  Lavvton,  and  through 
the  long,  weary  days  and  sleepless  nights,  no  patient 
ever  had  more  careful  nursing,  or  more  tender  con- 
sideration than  did  Timothy  Webster,  from  the  brave 
true-hearted  woman  who  had  dedicated  her  life  and 
her  services  to  the  cause  of  her  country  and  its  noble 
defenders. 

This  was  the  state  of  affairs  on  the  last  day  of 


LONG    ABSENCE. 


497 


January,  and  when  the  information  which  Webster 
had  gained  would  have  been  of  vast  importance  and 
benefit  to  the  cause  of  the  Union,  but  which,  lying  an 
agonized  invalid  in  a  Richmond  hotel,  he  was  unable 
to  communicate  to  those  who  were  anxiously  awaiting 
his  return.  And  now,  leaving  Webster  at  Richmond, 
and  with  Price  Lewis  and  John  Scully  on  their  way 
to  the  rebel  capital,  we  will  return  to  Washington, 
and  watch  the  events  which  were  transpiring  at  the 
capital. 

32 


EXCHANGE    OF    PRISONERS. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

McClellan  and  the  Government. — Lewis  and  Scully  Arrested 
as  Spies. — An  Attempted  Escape. —  Trial  and  Convic- 
tion. —  Condemned  to  Die.  —  Before  t/ie  Gallows  t/ieir 
Mouths  are  Opened. 

THE  month  of  February  added  its  slowly  passing 
days  to  those  that  had  preceded  it,  and  as  yet  no 
tidings  were  received  from  Timothy  Webster,  or  from 
those  who  had  gone  in  search  of  him.  W.  H.  Scott  had 
returned,  and  reported  that  they  had  safely  passed 
over  the  Potomac  River,  and  landed  upon  rebel  soil, 
but  further  than  this,  I  had  no  information  that  tended 
to  allay  my  anxieties,  or  to  give  assurance  of  their 
safety. 

In  the  meantime,  the  troops  around  Washington 
had  not  been  idle.  Reconnoissances  had  been  made 
from  time  to  time,  by  the  advance-guard  of  the  army, 
and  skirmishes  with  the  enemy  were  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. These  movements  were  of  great  impor- 
tance, not  so  much  from  the  actual  results  of  victories 
attained,  as  for  the  education  which  it  imparted  to 
the  t»oops,  in  accustoming  them  to  the  presence  of 
their  foes,  and  giving  them  confidence  while  under 
fire. 
^  [498] 


LEWIS    AND     SCULLY    ARRESTED.         499 

.*  General  McClellan  had  completed  his  plans  for 
the  investment  of  the  rebel  capital,  and  the  public 
mind  was  in  a  state  of  feverish  anxiety  and  expecta- 
tion for  the  forward  movement  of  the  troops.  The 
popular  cry  of  "  On  to  Richmond,"  was  echoed  from 
lip  to  lip  throughout  the  entire  country.  Every  one, 
except  those  who  knew  and  realized  the  danger  and 
difficulties  to  be  encountered  and  overcome,  were 
filled  with  an  enthusiasm  which  only  regarded  results 
and  never  considered  the  cost  of  their  accomplish- 
ment. Extravagant  ideas  of  a  struggle  which  should 
be  "short,  sharp  and  decisive,"  were  the  only  ones 
entertained  by  the  great  army  of  "  stay  at  homes," 
and  the  question  of  caution,  foresight  and  sagacity 
was  left  to  the  consideration  of  those  who  must  brave 
the  dangers  of  the  field,  and  face  the  deadly  fire  of 
their  determined  enemies. 

Added  to  this  a  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  began  to 
display  itself  in  high  circles  at  Washington.  The 
delay,  which  General  McClellan  wisely  deemed  neces- 
sary for  the  perfect  equipment  and  education  of  his 
army,  was  being  used  as  a  pretext  by  those  xvho 
envied  the  young  commander,  to  detract  from  his 
reputation,  and  to  impair  the  confidence  which  a, 
united  people  had  reposed  in  his  loyalty  and  ability. 
The  President  was  besieged  by  importunate  cavillers, 
the  burden  of  whose  refrain  was  the  defamation  o.f 
the  hero  of  West  Virginia,  and  it  is  not  surprising, 
however  much  to  be  regretted,  that  Mr.  Lincoln 


500  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

gradually  permitted  their  clamors  to  disturb  him, 
and  eventually  partook  of  some  of  the  distrust  with 
which  they  endeavored  to  impress  him.  From  a 
legitimate  and  wise  desire  to  prevent  an  untimely  di- 
vulgence  of  his  plans,  General  McClellan  had,  up  to 
this  time,  kept  his  ideas  and  opinions  to  himself  and 
confined  his  military  discussions  to  but  a  few  of  his 
immediate  officers,  and  those  whom  he  had  known 
and  trusted  for  years.  This  manner  of  proceeding 
was  not  to  the  taste  of  some  of  the  leading  men  in 
high  places  at  that  time,  who  deemed  themselves  as 
competent  to  confer  with  and  advise  the  commanding 
general,  as  those  whom  he  had  chosen.  In  order  to 
soothe  their  wounded  self-pride  they  had  recourse  to 
a  species  of  revenge  not  admirable,  to  say  the  least. 
They  plied  the  ears  of  the  President  with  comments 
derogatory  to  McClellan,  and  with  innumerable  sug- 
gestions of  pet  schemes  of  their  own  conception, 
which  would,  in  their  opinion,  undoubtedly  end  the 
war  with  surprising  alacrity.  The  result  of  these 
onslaughts  was,  that  McClellan  was  required  by  Mr. 
Lincoln  to  unfold  his  own  carefully  arranged  plans  to 
a  council  of  generals,  for  their  consideration  and  ap- 
•  proval.  To  this  "wicked  and  ignorant  clamor"  he 
•was  obliged  to  yield,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
that  his  proposed  movements  were  betrayed,  and 
that  not  long  afterwards  he  was  subjected  to  the 
mortification  of  having  his  army  divided  into 
corps,  against  his  wishes,  and  their  commanders  ap- 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  501 

pointed  without  consulting  him,  and  without  his 
knowledge.  Subsequently  he  was  compelled  to  sub- 
mit to  having  the  conduct  of  the  war  in  Virginia 
placed  in  charge  of  inexperienced,  irresponsible  and 
jealous-minded  officers,  whose  antipathy  to  him  was 
as  well  known  as  it  was  unceasing  and  violent. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  general  pursued  his 
way.  His  army  was  organized,  his  plans  prepared. 
The  defense  of  Washington  was  provided  for,  as  he 
thought,  in  the  most  complete  manner  possible,  and 
in  command  of  a  noble  army,  which  had  grown  up 
under  his  immediate  guidance  and  control,  the  brave 
commander  started  upon  his  campaign. 

During  the  month  of  March,  1862,  the  forward 
movement  was  commenced.  By  divisions  the  army 
was  transported  from  Alexandria  to  their  point  of 
destination  upon  the  Peninsula,  and  on  the  first  day 
of  April,  General  McClellan  embarked,  with  his  head- 
quarters, on  the  steamer  "  Commodore,"  reaching 
Fort  Monrce  on  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day. 

At  this  point  we  will  leave  the  army,  to  follow  the 
movements  of  my  operatives,  and  detail  their  experi- 
ences in  the  rebel  capital,  although  the  facts  were  not 
reported  to  me  until  a  long  time  after  their  actual 
occurrence. 

Price  Lewis  and  John  Scully  reached  the  city  of 
Richmond  without  accident  or  delay,  and  at  once 
established  themselves  in  the  Exchange  Hotel,  where 
they  remained  quietly  for  the  night.  The  next 


502,  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

morning  they  started  out  to  search  for  Timothy 
Webster,  and  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  reliable 
information  of  him  they  went  to  the  office  of  the 
Richmond  Enquirer,  for  the  proprietors  of  which 
Webster  had  frequently  carried  letters,  and  purchased 
goods  while  in  the  North.  Here  they  were  informed 
that  Webster  was  confined  to  his  bed  at  the  Monu- 
mental Hotel.  Repairing  at  once  to  the  place  where 
they  were  directed,  they  were  shown  to  Webster's 
room,  and  here  they  found  the  brave  fellow,  lying  a 
weak  and  helpless  invalid,  attended  by  Mrs,  Lawton, 
whose  attentions  to  him  were  unremitting.  There 
was  also  in  the  room,  a  Mr.  Pierce,  a  warm  Southern 
friend,  whose  friendship  for  Webster  was  of  long 
standing,  and  whose  visits  to  the  sick  man  were  of 
daily  occurrence. 

The  recognition  between  them  was  a  most  formal 
and  undemonstrative  one,  and  no  one  would  have 
suspected  that  they  were  engaged  in  the  same 
vocation,  and  acting  under  the  same  authority. 
During  the  short  interview  that  ensued,  Webster  was 
fretful  and  ill  at  ease.  Knowing  the  sentiments  of  the 
people  as  he  did,  and  associated  as  intimately  as  he 
was  with  the  most  prominent  of  the  Confederate 
authorities,  he  was  fearful  that  the  precipitate  and 
unheralded  appearance  of  his  companions  might  lead 
to  their  being  suspected,  as  well  as  to  attaching  sus- 
picion to  himself. 

The  few  words  of  conversation,  therefore,    that 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  503 

ensued,  were  marked  by  a  constraint  which  was 
uncomfortable  to  all  parties,  and  the  visit  was  of 
short  duration.  When  they  called  again  upon  Web- 
ster, they  found  with  him  a  rebel  officer  from  the 
Provost-Marshal's  office,  who  was  a  friend  of  Webster, 
and  who  visited  him  frequently. 

Webster  introduced  his  two  friends  to  Captain 
McCubbin,  for  that  was  the  man's  name,  and  after  a 
few  minutes,  that  officer  inquired  : 

"  Have  you  gentlemen  reported  at  General  Win- 
der's office  ?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Lewis,  "we  did  not  think  it 
was  necessary,  having  fully  reported  to  Major  Beale, 
and  received  his  permission  to  travel." 

"It  is  necessary  for  you  to  report  to  the  Provost- 
Marshal  here,  and  I  now  give  you  official  notice  of 
the  fact,"  said  McCubbin,  laughingly. 

"  Very  well,"  returned  Lewis,  "  we  will  do  so  as 
early  as  possible." 

"  Any  time  within  a  day  or  two  will  answer,"  said 
the  officer. 

Webster  watched  the  rebel  captain  carefully 
while  he  was  speaking,  and  he  thought  he  detected 
beneath  his  careless,  laughing  demeanor,  an  element 
of  suspicion,  which  he  did  not  like,  and  more  than 
ever  he  deplored  the  fact  that  my  men  had  visited 
him  so  soon,  or  had  appeared  to  be  acquaintances  of 
his.  However,  the  mistake  had  been  made,  if  mis- 
take it  was,  and  he  resolved  to  give  the  matter  as 


504  LEWIS    AND     SCULLY 

little  concern  as  possible,  trusting  that  his  anxiety 
was  ill-founded,  and  that  all  would  be  right  in  the  end. 
On  the  following  morning  my  two  operatives 
presented  themselves  at  the  office  of  the  Provost- 
Marshal,  and  meeting  Captain  McCubbin  there,  they 
were  soon  introduced  to  General  Winder,  who  oc- 
cupied that  position  in  the  rebel  capital.  After  they 
had  been  formally  introduced  to  General  Winder, 
that  officer  made  very  minute  inquiries,  as  to  the 
antecedents  and  the  business  of  the  two  men  before 
him,  although  no  word  was  mentioned,  that  led  either 
of  them  to  believe  that  they  were  suspected  of  being 
other  than  they  seemed.  They  informed  the  Marshal 
that  they  were  natives  of  England  and  Ireland,  that 
Scully  had  been  in  America  nearly  three  years,  while 
Lewis  had  arrived  only  eighteen  months  before ;  that 
one  of  them  had  been  connected  with  a  prominent 
dry-goods  house  in  New  York  city,  and  the  other 
represented  a  London  publishing  firm,  whose  office 
was  located  in  the  same  city.  They  also  stated  that 
in  Baltimore  they  had  become  acquainted  with  W. 
H.  Scott,  who  had  informed  them  of  great  oppor- 
tunities for  making  money  by  smuggling  goods  into 
the  Confederacy,  and  that  this  visit  had  been  made 
to  afford  them  the  knowledge  requisite  to  embarking 
in  such  an  enterprize.  They  had  agreed  to  deliver 
the  letter,  which  Mr.  Scott  gave  them,  to  Mr.  Webster, 
which  they  had  done,  and  further  than  this  their 
intimacy  with  either  gentlemen  did  not  extend. 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  505 

This  interview  was  conducted  in.  a  very  pleasant 
manner  by  General  Winder,  and  after  they  had  fully 
answered  all  the  questions  which  had  been  'pro- 
pounded to  them,  they  took  their  leave,  being  politely 
invited  by  the  General  to  call  upon  him  whenever 
convenient. 

Congratulating  themselves  upon  the  fortunate 
outcome  of  a  visit  which  they  had  looked  forward  to 
with  more  or  less  solicitude,  they  repaired  to  Web- 
ster's room  to  give  him  an  account  of  what  had  trans- 
pired. 

They  had  not  been  seated  very  long,  when  a  de- 
tective from  the  Marshal's  office  made  his  appearance, 
and  after  apologizing  for  his  visit,  inquired  from  what 
parts  of  England  and  Ireland  the  two  men  had  come  ; 
stating  also,  that  General  Winder  desired  the  in- 
formation. 

After  this  man  had  left,  Webster  turned  to  his 
companions  and  in  as  firm  a  voice  as  he  could  com- 
mand, said  : 

"  Get  away  from  Richmond  immediately  !  There 
is  danger  brewing.  You  are  certainly  suspected,  and 
it  may  go  very  hard  with  all  of  us,  unless  you  leave 
the  city  at  once  !" 

"Why  do  you  think  so?"  inquired  Scully,  in  a 
skeptical  tone.  "  We  certainly  cannot  be  suspected, 
and  I  am  confident  that  you  are  alarming  yourself 
unnecessarily." 

A  spasm   of  pain  prevented  Webster  from  reply- 


5o6  LEWIS    AND     SCULLY 

t 

ing  immediately ;  but  when  the  agony  had  somewhat 
subsided,  he  answered  : 

"  I  tell  you  that  man  never  would  have  come  here 
with  that  question  unless  there  was  something  wrong. 
You  must,  indeed,  get  away,  or  the  consequences  will 
be  serious." 

Scarcely  had  he  uttered  these  words,  when  there 
came  a  sharp  rap  at  the  door,  which,  upon  being 
opened,  revealed  the  forms  of  two  men,  one  of  them 
being  George  Cluckner,  a  detective  officer  attached 
to  the  Provost-Marshal's  office,  and  the  other  no  less 
a  personage  than  Chase  Morton,  a  son  of  ex- 
Governor  Morton,  of  Florida,  whose  house  in  Wash- 
ington my  operatives  had  at  one  time  assisted  in 
searching. 

The  consternation  of  Lewis  and  Scully  may  well 
be  imagined,  and  the  latter,  without  uttering  a  word, 
walked  rapidly  towards  the  open  doorway  and  disap-. 
peared,  leaving  Lewis,  filled  with  astonishment  and 
apprehension,  to  pass  the  ordeal  of  an  introduction. 
The  salutations  between  them  were,  as  may  be 
conjectured,  not  of  a  very  cordial  character  ;  and  after 
the  merest  form  of  politeness,  Lewis  bade  Webster 
good-evening,  and  left  the  room.  At  the  top  of  the 
landing  he  found  Scully  awaiting  him,  and  they  were 
about  to  descend  the  stairs,  felicitating  themselves 
upon  having  escaped  a  threatened  danger,  when  the 
door  of  Webster's  room  was  opened,  and  the  Con- 
federate detective  again  stood  before  them. 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  507 

"Are  your  names  Lewis  and  Scully?"  he  in- 
quired. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Lewis,  promptly,  resolved 
to  put  as  bold  a  face  upon  the  matter  as  possible. 

"  Then,"  said  the  officer,  "  I  have  orders  to  convey 
you  to  General  Winder's  office." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  they  signified  their 
readiness  to  accompany  him  at  once,  intending  to 
make  an  effort  to  escape  when  they  reached  the 
street.  This  hope,  however,  was  dashed  to  the 
ground  ;  for,  as  they  descended  the  stairs,  they  found 
three  other  officers  awaiting  their  appearance,  who 
immediately  took  them  in  charge,  and  accompanied 
them  to  the  Provost-Marshal's  office. 

Several  times,  during  their  journey,  Lewis  noticed, 
with  increasing  apprehension,  that  the  gaze  of  young 
Chase  Morton  was  riveted  fixedly  upon  them,  and 
he  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  they  had  been  recog- 
nized, and  would  certainly  be  apprehended.  This 
prospect  was  far  from  being  a  cheerful  one  ;  but  they 
mustered  up  all  their  latent  courage,  and  conversed 
good-humoredly  with  their  escort,  .as  they*  walked 
briskly  along. 

Arriving  at  the  General's  headquarters,  they 
learned  that  that  functionary  was  absent  upon  some 
urgent  business,  but  would  shortly  return,  and  had 
left  orders  that  they  should .  await  his  appearance. 
Lewis  and  Scully  were  accordingly  admitted  to  a 
private  room,  and  requested  to  make  themselves  com- 


508  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

fortable  until  General  Winder  should  desire  ther 
presence.  The  door  closed  upon  the  retreating  forms 
of  their  escort,  and  left  them  in  a  most  uncomfortable 
condition  of  mind  indeed.  There  was  now  no  doubt 
of  the  correctness  of  Webster's  suspicions,  and  they 
bitterly  regretted  their  haste  in  visiting  him,  and  also 
not  having  taken  his  advice  at  once.  However,  this 
was  no  time  for  regrets,  and  they  resolved  to  firmly 
adhere  to  their  original  statements,  and  await  the 
disposition  of  their  case  by  General  Winder. 

While  they  were  conversing  together,  the  door 
was  opened,  and  young  Morton  entered  the  room, 
accompanied  by  an  officer.  Stepping  directly  up  to 
Price  Lewis,  he  addressed  him  : 

"  Don't  you  remember  me  ?" 

"  I  do  not,"  responded  Lewis ;  "  I  do  not 
remember  to  have  seen  you  at  any  time  before 
to-day." 

He  looked  unflinchingly  into  the  eyes  that  met 
his,  and  the  determined  tones  of  his  voice  betrayed 
no  trace  of  the  emotions  that  were  raging  within  his 
bosom. 

"  Don't  you  remember,"  continued  young  Morton, 
"  coming  to  my  mother's  house,  in  Washington,  as 
an  agent  of  the  secret  service  of  the  Federal  govern- 
ment, and  making  a  thorough  search  of  our  premises 
and  its  contents  ?" 

"  You  are  mistaken,  sir,"  replied  Lewis,  firmly. 
"  I  know  nothing  of  what  you  are  alluding  to." 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  509 

"  I  am  not  mistaken,"  said  the  young  Southerner, 
"  and  you  are  the  man  !" 

"  Perhaps  this  gentleman  will  say  that  he  recollects 
me,  next,"  said  Scully,  resolved  to  be  as  bold  as  pos- 
sible, under  the  circumstances. 

Chase  Morton  gazed  at  him  a  few  moments  and 
then  answered,  decidedly  : 

"Yes  sir,  I  recollect  you  also;  you  were  one  of 
the  men  who  assisted  in  searching  my  mother's  resi- 
dence." 

Both  men  insisted  strongly  upon  their  ignorance 
of  any  such  proceeding,  and  indignantly  repudiated 
the  charges  that  had  been  made  against  them. 

At  this  juncture  General  Winder  came  in,  and 
walking  up  to  Lewis  he  greeted  him  cordially,  warmly 
shaking  him  by  the  hand,  saying  : 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Lewis,  and  how  is  Mr. 
Seward?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  mean,"  replied  Lewis. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  said  Winder,  with  a  disagreeable 
smile,  "but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  you  know  a 
great  deal  more  than  you  are  willing  to  admit." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Provost-Marshal,  "  you  will 
understand  me,  and  all  in  good  time.  Do  you  know 
gentlemen,  I  suspected  you  were  all  wrong  from  the 
start,  and  you  were  not  keen  enough  to  impose  your 
story  upon  me  ?  George,"  he  added,  turning  to  one 
of  his  men,  "  go  to  the  hotel,  and  get  the  baggage 


5 TO  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

belonging  to  these  gentlemen.  We  will  see  if  that 
will  throw  any  further  light  upon  their  true  charac- 
ter." 

The  officer  departed,  and  during  his  absence, 
General  Winder  plied  them  with  questions  about 
their  mission  ;  their  knowledge  of  Timothy  Webster ; 
their  visit  to  Richmond,  and  in  fact  about  everything 
imaginable,  and  all  of  them  showing  conclusively  that 
he  believed  them  to  be  spies,  and  unworthy  of  cre- 
dence. Their  satchels  were  finally  brought  in,  and 
a  rigid  examination  failed  to  discover  anything  to 
justify  his  suspicions,  and  Winder  finally  left  the 
room,  angrily  ordering  them  to  remain  where  they 
were,  and  directing  his  officers  and  Chase  Morton  to 
accompany  him. 

A  few  minutes  elapsed  after  their  departure,  dur- 
ing which  the  loud  voice  of  Winder  could  be  heard, 
angrily  declaiming  against  the  two  men  ;  he  then  came 
back  again,  and  addressing  my  operatives  said  : 

"  Gentlemen,  your  stories  don't  agree  with  what  I 
know  about  you,  and  we  will  give  you  time  to  think 
the  matter  over ;"  then  turning  to  his  deputy  he  com- 
manded, "  Take  them  away  !" 

"  Where  to  ?"  inquired  the  officer. 

"To  Henrico  Jail,"  was  Winder's  response. 

They  were  then  conducted  to  the  jail  and  placed 
in  a  room  in  which  six  others  were  confined,  where 
the  officers  left  them  to  their  meditations,  which,  as 
may  be  imagined,  were  far  from  pleasant.  Not  know- 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  51! 

ing  what  might  be  in  store  for  them,  and  fearing  that 
their  presence  in  Richmond  might  result  in  danger  to 
Webster,  they  resolved  to  say  nothing  whatever,  and 
to  adhere  strictly  to  the  story  originally  told  by  them, 
and  then  to  abide  by  the  consequences,  no  matter 
how  serious  they  might  be. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  an  of- 
ficer accompanied  by  an  elder  son  of  Mr.  Morton 
made  their  appearance  at  the  jail,  and  he,  too,  identi- 
fied the  two  men,  as  being  concerned  in  searching  his 
mother's  residence  in  Washington,  and  endeavored 
to  recall  several  incidents  which  had  taken  place  on 
that  occasion.  To  all  of  his  statements,  however, 
Price  and  Scully  made  emphatic  denials,  and  vehe- 
mently asserted  their  entire  ignorance  of  anything 
connected  with  the  Mortons,  or  their  relations  to  the 
Federal  government. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  obtain  any  admission 
from  the  two  prisoners,  they  took  their  departure,  and 
left  the  confined  detectives  to  their  own  unpleasant 
reflections. 

For  three  days  they  remained  in  their  place  of 
confinement,  and  during  that  time  no  word  came 
from  the  Marshals  office  or  from  any  one  concerning 
their  disposition  or  future  movements.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  authorities  had  been  content  with  simply 
placing  them  in  durance  vile,  and  then  had  dismissed 
them  from  their  minds.  This  was  the  most  favorable 
view  they  were  able  to  take  of  the  case,  and  they 


Si2  LEWIS    AND     SCULLY 

were  solacing  themselves  with  the  fallacious  hope  of 
having  escaped  a  fate  which  they  dreaded,  and  also 
with  the  belief  that  Webster,  their  friend  and  com- 
panion, would  not  be  associated  with  their  presence 
in  Richmond,  and  that  their  discovery  would  not 
operate  to  his  injury. 

On  the  fourth  day,  however,  an  attache  of  the 
Marshal's  office  came  to  the  jail,  and  calling  for  John 
Scully  informed  him  that  his  presence  was  required 
by  General  Winder.  Scully  prepared  himself  for  the 
visit,  and  taking  leave  of  his  companion  followed  the 
officer.  He  did  not  return  that  night,  and  for  days 
afterwards  Lewis  was  in  ignorance  of  what  had  be- 
come of  him,  or  what  fate  he  was  to  expect  at  the 
hands  of  these  minions  of  disloyalty  and  secession. 

Lewis,  meanwhile,  had  become  acquainted  with 
his  fellow  prisoners,  all  of  whom  were  in  a  s'tate  of 
anxiety  as  to  what  measure  of  punishment  would  be 
meted  out  to  them,  and  all  nearly  crazed  with  the 
uncertainty  of  their  impending  fate.  For  days  they 
had  been  concocting  a  plan  of  escape,  and  finding 
Lewis  disposed  to  make  an  effort  to  be  released  from 
his  confinement,  they  developed  their  plans  to  him, 
and  requested  his  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  their 
purpose. 

Lewis  hailed  with  delight  a  proposition  that 
promised  to  enable  them  to  exchange  the  damp  and 
noisome  air  of  a  prison  for  the  free  breath  of  nature, 
and  the  dark  hours  of  captivity  for  the  freedom  and 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  513 

liberty  he  longed  for,  and  he  became  an  energetic 
and  careful  coadjutor  of  those  who  suffered  with  him 
the  degrading  position  of  being  imprisoned  by  a  gov- 
ernment which  they  despised,  and  by  which  their  lives 
were  menaced. 

The  part  of  the  jail  in  which  they  were  confined 
was  separated  from  the  main  building,  and  contained 
four  cells,  two  upon  the  ground  floor  and  two  imme- 
diately above  them.  These  cells  were  reached  through 
a  corridor  from  the  yard  outside,  and  secured  by  two 
doors ;  one  a  heavy  iron  one  fastened  on  the  inside, 
and  the  other  a  stout  wooden  barricade,  the  lock  of 
which  was  placed  on  the  outside  of  the  building.  It 
was  the  custom  of  the  old  man,  who  acted  as  the 
jailer,  to  allow  the  prisoners  a  half  hour's  walk  in  the 
yard  during  the  early  evening,  and  then,  locking  them 
up  safely  again,  he  would  leave  them  alone  in  the 
building,  while  he  went  to  his  home,  several  blocks 
distant. 

One  of  the  men  had  managed  to  secrete  a  file  about 
his  person,  and  with  this  they  succeeded  in  making  a 
saw  out  of  a  knife.  These  were  the  only  implements 
which  they  had  to  work  with.  Notwithstanding  the 
meagerness  of  their  implements,  but  a  few  days  had 
elapsed  before  the  bolts  on  every  cell-door  were 
sawed  through  so  that  they  only  required  a  few  min- 
utes' labor  to  detach  them  from  their  fastenings 
altogether. 

It  is  impossible   to   detail  the  hours  of  feverish . 

33 


514  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

anxiety,  of  tireless  energy,  and  of  momentary  fear  of 
detection,  through  which  these  men  passed  while  en- 
gaged in  their  difficult  and  dangerous  work — or  to 
depict  their  joy,  when  at  last  their  labor  was  com- 
pleted, and  they  awaited  the  time  of  carrying  their 
plans  into  execution. 

The  outside  door  was  now  the  only  barrier  be- 
tween them  and  their  coveted  freedom,  and  various 
plans  were  suggested  to  overcome  this  obstacle.  At 
length  one  was  decided  upon  which  promised  to 
secure  the  object  of  their  desires.  In  one  corner  of 
the  yard  in  which  they  took  their  daily  exercise, 
there  was  a  large  pile  of  ashes  and  garbage,  which 
had  been  accumulating  for  a  long  time.  It  was  re- 
solved that  one  of  their  number  should  be  buried 
under  this  rubbish,  while  several  of  the  other  prison- 
ers engaged  the  old  jailer  in  animated  conversation. 

The  man  selected  for  this  purpose  was  a  good, 
brave  fellow,  who  was  formerly  a  sailor,  and  had  lately 
been  a  member  of  an  artillery  company  from  New 
York.  His  name  was  Charles  Stanton,  and  he  had 
come  into  the  South  upon  his  own  inclination,  and 
for  the  Quixotic  purpose  of  obtaining  command  of 
a  gunboat  of  the  Confederacy,  and  then  attempting  to 
run  it  through  to  the  Union  lines.  He  had,  however, 
been  suspected,  and  remanded  to  prison,  where  he 
had  remained  without  a  trial,  and  without  hope  of 
release,  for  several  months. 

The  prisoners  were  all  .turned  out  for  their  usual 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  515 

exercise  in  the  yard,  on  the  evening  which  had  been 
agreed  upon  ;  and  in  accordance  with  their  arranged 
plan,  several  of  the  prisoners  surrounded  the, old 
turnkey,  and  engaged  him  in  an  earnest  discussion, 
while  others  set  actively  to  work  to  dig  the  grave  of 
Stanton  in  the  ashes.  In  order  that  he  might  not  be 
unbearably  uncomfortable,  his  body  only  was  covered 
with  the  contents  of  the  ash-heap,  while  his  head  and 
shoulders  were  concealed  from  view  by  some  straw, 
which  one  of  the  men  brought  from  his  cell  for  that 
purpose. 

In  the  jail,  at  this  time,  there  were  a  number  of 
negroes,  who  had  been  captured  while  attempting  to 
make  their  way  to  the  North,  and  although  these  faith- 
ful blacks  were  aware  of  the  attempted  escape,  and 
knew  full  well  that  they  were  not  included  in  the 
movement,  their  efforts  were  none  the  less  active 
in  behalf  of  the  white  men  who  were  struggling  for 
liberty. 

They  had  been  informed  of  the  attempted  escape, 
from  the  first,  and  had  kept  the  matter  a  profound 
secret,  at  the  same  time  rendering  such  service  as 
they  were  capable  of  to  the  whites. 

Everything  worked  to  their  entire  satisfaction. 
The  turnkey  was  unsuspicious ;  the  grave  was  made 
without  discovery,  and  Stanton  was  carefully  con- 
cealed. In  a  few  minutes  afterwards  the  call  for 
retiring  was  heard,  and  the  men,  with  throbbing 
hearts,  rushed  in  a  mass  toward  the  door  of  the  corri- 


5i6  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

dor.  This  was  done  in  order  to  escape  the  counting 
of  their  number,  in  case  the  old  man  should  attempt 
to  do  so.  They  passed  quickly  into  their  cells,  and 
were  not  required  to  be  counted.  Thus  far,  all  had 
been  done  as  successfully  as  could  be  hoped  for,  or 
expected  ;  no  suspicions  were  excited,  nor  was  their 
missing  comrade  called  for.  It  had  been  the  custom 
of  the  old  mari  to  make  a  tour  of  the  cells  after  the 
prisoners  had  retired,  to  see  if  they  were  all  there 
before  he  went  away  for  the  night.  In  order  to  over- 
come this  possibility  of  detection,  a  figure  had  been 
made  of  straw,  stuffed  into  the  garments  of  the  men, 
and  laid  upon  the  bed,  in  order  to  look  as  much  like 
a  human  being  as  possible. 

This  precaution  proved  to  be  a  good  one,  for  just 
before  the  time  of  closing  up  the  prison  arrived,  the 
glimmer  of  the  old  turnkey's  lantern  was  seen  in  the 
corridor,  and  shortly  after,  his  face  appeared  at  the 

door,  as   he   eagerly  scanned   the   occupants  of   the 

i 

various  cells.  Apparently  satisfied  with  his  scrutiny, 
the  jailer  went  his  way,  the  heavy  outside  doors  were 
closed  and  locked,  and  the  retreating  footsteps  of 
the  old  man  could  be  distinctly  heard. 

The  critical  moment  had  at  last  arrived,  and  they 
awaited  in  breathless  silence  the  appearence  of  Stan- 
ton.  Fortune  favored  them  in  a  peculiar  manner 
this  evening.  As  the  old  man  was  passing  the 
pile  of  ashes  under  which  Stanton  was  concealed, 
he  noticed  the  unusual  appearance  of  the  straw. 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  517 

Stopping  for  a  moment,  he  drew  a  match  from  his 
pocket,  lighted  it,  and  then  walked  toward  the  heap  as 
though  with  the  intention  of  setting  fire  to  it.  The 
match  fortunately  was  extinguished  by  a  blast  of 
wind,  and  after  searching  in  his  pocket  for  another 
match,  but  finding  none,  he  slowly  turned,  and  walked 
out  of  the  gate,  locking  it  securely  behind  him. 

Stanton's  feelings,  under  this  ordeal,  may  be 
imagined.  If  the  old  man  had  succeeded  in  igniting 
the  straw,  under  which  he  was  concealed,  detection 
would  have  followed  instantly,  and  no  doubt  serious 
injury  would  have  been  inflicted  upon  the  brave 
fellow,  who  had  willingly  suffered  the  discomforts  of 
his  unpleasant  confinement  for  the  purpose  of  assist- 
ing his  comrades  to  escape. 

No  sooner  had  the  gate  closed  upon  the  jailor, 
than  he  crawled  nimbly  out  from  his  place  of  conceal- 
ment, and  hastily  made  his  way  to  the  door.  He  at 
once  began  his  operations  upon  the  lock.  The  ap- 
pearance of  Stanton  at  the  doo'r  was  the  signal  for 
the  others,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the  locks  upon 
the  cell  doors  had  been  removed.  Stanton  had 
wrested  the  lock  from  the  outside  door,  and  only  the 
iron  inside  one  was  now  to  be  overcome.  This  bar- 
rier resisted  all  their  efforts,  and  it  was  at  last  decided 
that  the  lock  must  be  removed  by  main  force.  This 
was  a  proceeding  which  necessitated  a  great  deal  of 
»  noise,  and  they  were  in  an  agony  of  apprehension 
lest  their  clamor  should  attract  the  attention  of 


5i8  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

people  passing  on  the  outside,  and  thus  lead  to  their 
detection.  To  prevent  this,  the  colored  men,  with- 
out any  solicitation  or  instruction,  came  to  the 
rescue  in  a  very  important,  though  unexpected  man- 
ner. They  commenced  to  sing  in  concert,  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  snatches  of  plantation  and  camp- 
meeting  melodies,  which  effectually  drowned  the 
sound  of  their  blows,  and  enabled  them  to  work  with- 
out fear  of  detection. 

The  lock  at  last  yielded  to  their  combined  efforts, 
and  the  men  issued  silently  forth  into  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  breathing  once  more  the  stimulating  atmos- 
phere of  hope  and  promised  liberty.  Only  the  wall 
around  the  prison  yard  was  now  to  be  surmounted, 
and  with  the  aid  of  some  old  planks  that  were  lying 
around,  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  top,  after 
which  they  noiselessly  dropped  themselves  to  the 
ground.  Although  this  wall  was  very  high,  they  all 
reached  terra firma  in  safety,  and  with  one  impulse 
breathed  a  prayer  of  thankfulness  for  the  success 
which  had  thus  far  attended  their  efforts. 

Silently,  and  walking  in  couples,  at  long  distances 
apart,  they  started  out  to  leave  the  city.  The  sky 
was  clear,  and  the  moon  was  shining  brightly  over- 
head. The  stars  were  twinkling  merrily,  as  though 
enjoying  the  success  which  had  attended  these  brave, 
patient  men,  in  their  labor  and  toil  of  days  and 
weeks. 

This  was  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  March,   and 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  519 

Martial  law  had  been  proclaimed  some  time  pre- 
viously. It  was  now  nearly  eight  o'clock,  and  by  the 
provisions  of  the  law  any  one  found  upon  the  streets 
after  nine  o'clock,  must  be  in  possession  of  a  pass,  or 
be  liable  to  arrest.  Great  haste  was  therefore  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  leave  the  city  before  that  hour. 
With  only  the  stars  for  their  guide,  they  set  out  in  a 
northerly  direction.  Not  one  of  the  men  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  country,  and  their  journey  was  all 
the  more  perilous  on  that  account. 

By  midnight  they  had  reached  the  Chickahominy, 
having  succeeded,  by  the  greatest  good  fortune,  in  es- 
caping any  one  who  was  disposed  to  make  in- 
quiries or  to  molest  them  in  any  manner  whatever. 
Across  this  swamp  their  way  led  through  quagmires 
and  deep  pools,  and  was  dangerous  in  the  extreme. 
Sometimes  waist  deep  in  the  soft  mud  and  water,  and 
scrambling  over  slipping  places  which  furnished  in- 
secure footholds,  and  threatened  instant  danger  from 
falling  back  into  the  pools  through  which  they  had 
made  their  way.  Their  journey  was  full  of  hardship 
and  suffering.  The  air  was  cojd  and  frosty,  and  their 
wet  garments  clung  to  them  like  ice ;  their  limbs 
trembled  ;  their  teeth  chattered  with  the  cold,  and 
their  condition  was  really  a  pitiable  one  indeed. 

At  length  they  reached  the  woods  upon  the 
opposite  side.  Here  they  were  obliged  to  stop  and. 
rest,  completely  exhausted.  Some  of  the  hardier  of 
the  party  removed  their  dripping  garments,  and 


520  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

attempted  to  wring  the  water  from  them  ;  while 
others,  unable  to  stand  the  chilling  air  any  longer, 
built  a  fire,  around  which  they  gathered  in  the  effort 
to  warm  their  bodies  and  to  dry  their  water-soaked 
clothing. 

They  rested  for  about  two  hours,  and  then  pushed 
on  again  until  daylight,  when  they  sought  the  shelter 
of  the  woods  and  laid  down,  hoping  to  get  some  sleep 
after  their  laborious  and  fatiguing  journey  of  the  pre- 
ceding night.  Sleep,  however,  was  impossible  ;  their 
clothing  was  wet,  and  the  air  was  cold.  Their  suffer- 
ings became  intense,  and  at  length,  finding  it 
impossible  to  endure  the  freezing  atmosphere 
longer,  they  determined  to  build  a  fire,  regardless  of 
the  consequences.  Proceeding  further  into  the  wood, 
they  gathered  some  boughs,  and  soon  the  cheerful 
blaze  afforded  them  sufficient  heat  to  dry  their  frozen 
clothing  and  to  warm  their  benumbed  and  freezing 

<->  o 

bodies.  Thus  passed  the  day,  and  when  darkness 
came  on  again  they  resumed  their  journey. 

Already  they  began  to  experience  "the  pangs  of 
hunger.  They  had  eaten  nothing  since  the  evening 
before,  and  had  walked  many  weary  miles.  They  were 
foot-sore  and  tired  and  hungry.  They  had  provided 
themselves  with  the  remnants  of  the  corn  cake  which 
had  been  served  for  their  supper  on  the  previous 
evening,  but  these  had  become  thoroughly  soaked 
\vith  water  on  their  journey  through  the  swamps,  and 
had  crumbled  to  pieces.  Notwithstanding  their 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  521 

pitiable  condition,  their  strong  wills  and  brave  hearts 
sustained  them,  and  they  plodded  on. 

The  night  was  intensely  dark ;  the  stars  were 
obscured,  and  a  pall  of  inky  blackness  hung  over 
them,  which  rendered  their  journey  exceedingly 
hazardous,  as  they  could  not  see  the  way  before 
them,  and  were  unable  to  tell  in  which  direction  they 
were  traveling. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  the  storm 
broke,  and  a  drenching  torrent  of  rain  descended. 
The  wind  whistled  and  howled  through  the  trees,  and 
for  hours  the  tempest  raged  with  relentless  fury. 
Seeking  the  shelter  of  the  woods  again,  they  crouched 
close  to  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  and  vainly  attempted 
to  screen  themselves  from  the  deluge.  It  was  of  no 
avail,  however  ;  the  leafless  timber  afforded  them  no 
protection,  and  during  the  continuance  of  the  storm 
the  poor,  tired  and  almost  exhausted  fugitives  were 
exposed  to  the  pitiless  blast. 

Shivering  with  cold,  their  teeth  chattering,  their 
garments  drenched  through  to  their  quivering  skin, 
they  knelt  or  crouched  upon  the  ground,  and  when 
daylight  dawned,  and  the  storm  at  last  cleared  away, 
they  were  almost  too  weak  to  help  themselves. 

Price  Lewis  looked  around  him  as  the  faint 
streaks  of  sunrise  illumined  the  horizon,  and  to  his 
dismay  saw  that  nearly  all  of  his  late  companions  had 
disappeared,  and  that  only  three  others  beside  him- 
self remained. 


522  LEWIS    AND     SCULLY 

With  the  greatest  difficulty  they  succeeded  in 
building  a  fire,  and  were  just  preparing  to  enjoy  its 
comforting  warmth,  when  they  were  alarmed  by  the 
sound  of  the  hasty  tramping  of  feet,  and  in  a  moment 
they  were  surrounded  by  a  number  of  Confederate 
soldiers,  who  commanded  them  to  surrender  at  once. 

This  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  was  a 
crushing  blow  to  their  hopes.  They  submitted  with- 
out a  word  ;  and  although  bowed  to  the  ground  with 
disappointment,  they  experienced  a  sensation  almost 
amounting  to  relief,  at  the  prospect  of  receiving  the 
care  and  attention  which  even  enemies  would  give  to 
those  in  such  distress  as  were  these  poor  fugitives. 

Limping  along,  they  were  marched  to  an  out- 
building, connected  with  a  farm-house  near  by,  when, 
to  their  surprise,  they  saw  the  remainder  of  their 
party,  who  had  been  captured  by  another  band  of 
soldiers,  huddled  together  in  one  corner  of  the  room. 

The  soldiers  were  touched  with  pity,  as  they  be- 
held the  forlorn  condition  of  the  men  whom  they  had 
secured,  and  in  a  short  time  they  had  provided  them 
with  a  repast,  which  the  famished  fugitives  devoured 
with  a  rapidity  which  gave  ample  testimony  of  their 
long  and  painful  abstinence. 

After  dispatching  this  meal  they  were  conveyed 
directly  back  to  Richmond,  and  returned  to  their  old 
quarters  in  Henrico  jail.  On  their  arrival  each  man 
was  placed  in  a  separate  cell,  and  doubly  ironed,  to 
prevent  a  repetition  of  their  efforts  to  escape. 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  523 

While  Price  Lewis  had  been  engaged  in  this  un- 
successful attempt  to  gain  his  liberty,  John  Scully  had 
been  undergoing  a  far  different  experience.  A  court- 
martial  had  been  hurriedly  convened,  where  he  was 
fully  identified  by  every  member  of  the  Morton  fam- 
ily as  the  man  who  had  searched  their  premises  in 
the  city  of  Washington,  and  had,  after  a  very  sum- 
mary trial,  been  convicted  and  remanded  back  to 
prison  to  await  his  sentence. 

On  the  second  day  after  the  return  of  Price  Lewis 
he  was  conducted  before  a  court-martial,  and  in  a  re- 
markably short  space  of  time  was  accorded  a  trial,  if 
trial  it  could  be  called,  and  his  conviction  followed 
as  quickly  as  did  that  of  John  Scully. 

They  had  been  charged  with  being  alien  enemies, 
and  at  one  time  acting  in  the  service  of  the  Federal 
government  in  Washington.  In  addition  to  this, 
they  were  charged  with  loitering  around  the  fortifica- 
tions at  Richmond  and  taking  plans  of  the  same. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  no  witness  could  be 
procured  who  would  swear  to  having  seen  them  in 
such  localities,  or  engaged  in  any  such  occupation,  the 
members  of  the  court-martial,  with  singular  unanimity, 
found  them  guilty  of  the  second  charge,  with  as  much 
haste,  and  as  manifest  an  air  of  solemnity,  as  they  did 
of  the  first. 

The  next  day  they  were  each  informed  of  their 
sentence,  which  was  that  they  should  be  hung  by  the 
neck,  as  spies,  and  that  their  execution  should  take 


524  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

place  in  one  week  from  the  day  of  the  communica- 
tion of  the  information  to  them. 

This  sentence  was  a  heavy  blow  to  the  two  pris- 
oners ;  and  from  the  character  of  the  men  by  whom 
they  were  surrounded,  thay  felt  that  hope  was  use- 
less. The  spirit  of  animosity  manifested  toward  them 
by  the  court,  the  indecent  haste  with  which  their 
trial  had  been  conducted,  and  the  rapidity  with  which 
their  sentence  had  followed  their  conviction,  gave 
them  no  reasons  for  hoping  for  clemency,  or  that  they 
would  be  able  to  escape  the  dreadful  fate  which  now 
was  impending  over  them. 

The  conduct  of  the  various  members  of  the  Mor- 
ton family  in  betraying  my  operatives  to  the  author- 
ities, and  in  appearing  as  accusing  witnesses  against 
them,  in  face  of  their  promises,  long  ago  made,  to  be- 
friend them  if  possible,  was  an  act  which  did  not  re- 
flect very  favorably  upon  their  regard  for  truth,  or 
their  appreciation  of  delicate  treatment  when  they 
themselves  were  suspected  of  treachery. 

Lewis  and  Scully  had  never  seen  each  other  from 
the  time  when  the  latter  was  removed  from  the  cell 
a  few  days  after  their  first  imprisonment,  and  each 
was  unconscious  of  the  other's  fate  or  of  the  state  of 
their  feelings  under  the  fatal  sentence  which  hung 
over  them  both. 

After  their  conviction  they  had  both  been  sent  to 
a  prison  called  Castle  Godwin,  and  had  been  placed 
in  irons,  and  in  separate  cells.  During  the  first  two 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  525 

days  that  elapsed  after  their  conviction,  they  were 
visited  by  Judge  Crump,  who  conducted  the  trial,  and 
by  several  members  of  General  Winder's  staff,  all  of 
whom  endeavored  to  obtain  some  admissions  from 
the  two  prisoners  which  would  justify  their  action  in 
condemning  them  to  death.  All  with  no  avail,  how- 
ever; the  two  men  stoutly  insisted  upon  their  original 
story,  except  so  far  as  to  admit  that  they  had  searched 
the  premises  of  Mrs.  Morton,  but  each  man  was  firm 
in  stating  that  he  had  become  disgusted  with  the  ser- 
vice, and  had  left  it  very  soon  after  that  act  had  been 
committed. 

On  the  day  after  their  sentence  had  been  com- 
municated to  them,  a  letter  was  brought  to  Lewis, 
from  the  commandant  of  the  post,  stating  that  Scully 
was  suffering  with  a  serious  illness,  and  having  re- 
quested that  Lewis  be  allowed  to  visit  him,  the  privi- 
lege had  been  granted.  On  entering  the  cell  where 
Scully  was  confined,  Lewis  found  his  fellow-prisoner 
in  a  very  depressed  condition  of  mind,  although  his 
physical  infirmities  had  been  assumed  in  order  to  se- 
cure an  interview  with  his  partner  in  misfortune. 

After  discussing  their  situation  as  philosophically 
as  possible  under  the  circumstances,  seeking  for  some 
ray  of  hope  and  finding  none,  they  were  at  last  com- 
pelled to  the  belief  that  their  doom  was  sealed,  and  that 
their  only  plan  was  to  bear  up  manfully  to  the  end. 

Scully,  who  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  desired  the 
services  of  a  priestly  comforter,  to  whom  he  could 


526  LEWIS    AND     SCULLY 

make  such   statements  as  would  relieve  his  mind   in 
the  coming  trial,  and  made  known  this  wish  to  Lewis. 

"  You  will  not  tell  him  what  you  know  of  Web- 
ster, and  his  connection  with  this  matter,  will  you  ?"  • 
said  Lewis,  fearful  that  Webster  might  be  betrayed. 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  will  tell  him,"  answered 
Scully  ;  "  I  have  not  decided  what  to  say,  nor  do  I 
know  what  I  will  be  commanded  to  relate." 

"  For  God's  sake,  Scully,  don't  say  anything  about 
Wrebster ;  we  can  meet  our  fate  like  men,  but  to  men- 
tion his  name  now,  would  be  wrong  indeed." 

"  I  tell  you,"  said  Scully,  "  I  don't  know  what  I 
am  going  to  say.  I  don't  want  to  do  wrong,  but  I 
cannot  tell  what  I  may  have  to  do  yet." 

Lewis  argued  with  his  companion  long  and  earn- 
estly upon  this  matter,  and  when  at  last  the  priest 
arrived,  and  Scully  followed  him  to  another  cell,  the 
warning  admonitions  of  his  fellow-prisoner  were  ring- 
ing in  his  ears. 

What  transpired  during  that  secret  meeting  be- 
tween the  condemned  spy  and  his  father-confessor, 
Lewis  did  not  know,  but  when  he  was  conducted  to 
his  own  cell,  late  that  night,  he  saw  a  man  and  woman 
closely  guarded,  in  the  lower  hall,  and  his  heart  grew 
heavy  and  cold  as  his  imagination  conjured  up  the 
direful  fate  which  a  confession  from  his  imprisoned 
comrade  would  bring  to  the  faithful  patriot  Webster, 
who  lay  suffering  and  anxious  upon  his  bed  of  pain. 

After  a  long  and  restless  night,  in  which  he  tossed 


ARRESTED    AS    SPIES.  527 

uneasily  upon  his  hard  prison  bed,  vainly  attempting 
to  court  the  rest-giving  slumber  of  which  he  stood  so 
much  in  need,  Lewis  arose  from  his  couch,  feverish 
and  unrefreshed,  as  the  first  faint  rays  of  the  morning 
sun  penetrated  his  damp  and  dingy  cell. 

His  mind  was  in  a  state  of  confusion,  and  his 
heart  was  filled  with  fear.  What  had  been  done  he 
knew  not,  and  yet  those  guarded  figures  of  the  night 
before  were  ever  in  his  mind.  Could  it  be  that  they 
were  Webster  and  his  faithful  attendant  Mrs.  Lawton  ? 
He  shrank  involuntarily  from  this  thought;  and  yet, 
strive  as  he  would,  it  recurred  to  him,  with  increased 
force,  and  with  more  convincing  power,  after  each  at- 
tempt to  drive  it  from  him. 

In  a  little  while,  the  prison  was  astir.  The  guards 
were  making  their  accustomed  rounds,  breakfast  was 
served,  and  another  day,  with  all  its  solemn  activity, 
and  its  bustle  so  death-like  and  subdued,  had  begun. 

Unable  to  partake  of  the  scanty  meal  that  was 
set  before  him,  Lewis  impatiently  awaited  the  hour 
when  he  would  be  permitted  to  visit  his  fellow-pris- 
oner whom  he  had  left  upon  the  eve  of  consulting 
with  his  spiritual  adviser,  and,  if  possible,  learn  the 
result  of  his  interview  with  the  priest. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  turnkey  appeared,  and  he 
was  conducted  to  Scully's  cell.  As  he  entered  the 
dimly-lighted  room,  he  noticed  that  the  face  of  the 
man  whom  he  had  left  the  night  before,  ha.d  under- 
gone a  wonderful  change.  His  cheeks  were  sunken 


528  LEWIS    AND    SCULLY 

and  pale ;  his  eyes  had  a  strange,  wild  expression,  and 
the  shadows  under  the  lids  were  dark  and  heavy. 
His  hair  was  unkempt,  and  his  lips  trembled  with  the 
emotions  which  he  was  struggling  to  repress.  What- 
ever events  had  transpired  since  he  had  seen  him  last, 
it  was  evident  that  their  effect  upon  Scully  had  been 
terrible  and  agonizing.  He  had  been  unable  to  sleep, 
and  the  tortures  of  his  mind  had  been  almost  unbear- 
able. His  greeting  to  Lewis  showed  a  degree  of  re- 
straint which  had  been  unknown  before,  and  for  a 
moment  he  seemed  unable  to  speak. 

At  length  he  grew  calmer,  and  related  to  his 
friend  the  events  of  the  preceding  night,  and  the 
influences  that  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon  him. 
The  promise  of  freedom  ;  his  loving  family  at  home  ; 
the  certainty  of  an  ignoble  death  if  he  refused  ;  the 
degradation  of  the  impending  scaffold ;  and  the 
promise  that  his  admissions  should  result  in  injury  to 
no  one,  all  combined  against  his  weak  condition  of 
both  mind  and  body,  and  at  last,  yielding  to  the  in- 
fluences which  he  could  not  control,  he  had  told  his 
story,  and  had  given  a  truthful  account  of  all  his 
movements. 

Who  can  blame  this  man  ?  Who,  that  has  stood 
before  the  frowning  scaffold,  and  with  a  free  world 
before  him,  can  utter  words  of  censure  ?  Only  those 
who  have  suffered  as  he  did,  prostrated  as  he  was, 
can  know  the  terrible  agony  through  which  he  passed 
ere  the  fatal  words  were  forced  from  his  trembling 


ARRESTED     AS    SPIES.  529 

lips.  For  myself,  I  have  no  judgment  to  utter. 
Now,  as  when  the  news  was  first  communicated  to 
me,  I  cannot  express  an  unjust  sentence.  John  Scully 
and  his  companion  were  not  heroic  martyrs.  What 
then  ?  They  were  simply  men  who,  after  having 
performed  many  brave  acts  of  loyalty  and  duty  to 
their  country,  failed  in  a  moment  of  grand  and  great 
self-sacrifice.  I  cannot  apologize  for  them — I  cannot 
judge  them.  Their  trial  was  a  severe  one,  and  they 
were  in  sore  distress.  If  they  succumbed  to  a  con- 
trolling emergency,  it  was  because  of  a  lack  of  the 
heroic  elements  of  humanity ;  and  who,  in  our  day, 
can  claim  their  possession  in  the  very  face  of  death 
and  dishonor  ? 

Let  us  hasten  over  these  unpleasant  and  disas- 
trous events.  Finding  that  the  worst  had  occurred, 
and  that  further  concealment  was  of  no  avail,  Lewis, 
too,  opened  his  mouth.  He  was  again  visited  by  the 
rebel  authorities,  and  at  last  he,  too,  added  his  voice 
to  that  of  Scully,  and  made  a  revelation  of  his  true 
character,  and  of  the  nature  of  his  mission  to  Rich- 
mond. The  next  day  they  were  respited.  They  had 
escaped  an  ignominious  death,  but,  perhaps,  in  their 
lonely  cells  they  suffered  a  death  in  life,  beside  which 
an  actual  demise  might  have  seemed  a  blessing. 
Leaving  them  to  their  reflections,  we  turn  again  to 
Timothy  Webster. 

34 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Webster  Arrested  as  a  Spy. — A  Woman's  Devotion  and  a 
Patriot's  Heroism. —  Webster  is  Convicted. — The  Execu- 
tion.— A  Martyr  s  Grave. 

A  FTER  the  departure  of  Lewis  and  Scully  from 
<**•  Webster's  room,  where  they  were  so  closely 
followed  by  the  Confederate  detective  and  Chase 
Morton,  my  trusty  operative  heard  nothing  of  them 
for  some  time.  Fearing  to  make  inquiries  concern- 
ing them,  lest  he  should  compromise  them  still 
further,  as  well  as  bring  himself  under  the  suspicion 
of  the  rebel  authorities,  he  maintained  a  strict  silence 
with  regard  to  the  movements  of  his  companions. 
Several  days  of  anxious  suspense  followed,  which,  to 
one  in  Webster's  critical  condition,  were  fraught  with 
agonizing  doubts  and  heartfelt  fears  for  the  ultimate 
safety  of  himself  and  his  friends.  Resolving,  how- 
ever, to  utter  no  word  which  would  compromise 
them,  he  bo..e  the  solicitude  with  unmurmuring 
firmness.  Only  to  the  heroic  woman,  who  so  faith- 
fully nursed  him,  did  he  unburden  his  mind  of  the 
weight  of  care  which  oppressed  him,  and  her  words 
of  womanly  friendship  and  encouragement  were  the 
[530] 


A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION.  531 

only  influences    which    supported  him    through  the 
trying  ordeal. 

One  day,  Mrs.  Lawton  came  into  his  room — as 
was  her  custom — but  this  time  there  was  a  gravity 
about  her  manner,  which,  to  Webster's  quick  percep- 
tions, boded  no  good.  Finding  him  receiving  some 
friendly  visitors,  the  lady  withdrew,  and  repressing 
his  impatience  as  well  as  he  was  able  to  do,  Webster 
dispatched  his  friends  as  quickly  as  politeness,  and  a 
due  consideration  for  their  kindly  regard,  would  per- 
mit. When  they  had  disappeared,  Mrs.  Lawton 
again  entered  the  room. 

"You  have  news  for  me,"  said  Webster,  impa- 
tiently; "what  is  it?" 

"  Be  calm,  my  dear  friend,"  said  the  devoted  lit- 
tle woman ;  "  what  I  have  to  tell,  calls  for  the 
utmost  calmness." 

"  Tell  me  what  it  is,"  said  Webster ;  "  I  will  be  as 
calm  as  you  could  wish,  but  do  not,  I  pray  you,  keep 
me  in  suspense." 

"  Well,"  replied  Mrs.  Lawton,  "  I  learned  this 
morning  that  Lewis  and  Scully  have  been  arrested 
and  taken  to  Henrico  Jail." 

"  When  did  this  occur  ?"  asked  the  invalid,  a  great 
weight  pressing  upon  his  heart. 

"  The  very  day  they  were  here  last,"  answered  the 
woman. 

'  Then  all  is  lost,"  exclaimed  the  sick  man.  "  I 
feared  as  much ;  and  now  the  time  has  come  I  will 


532  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

meet  it  manfully;  however,"  he  continued,  "it  will 
be  only  a  short  time  before  I  will  share  the  same  fate." 
"  Why  do  you  think  so  ?"  anxiously  inquired  Mrs. 
Lawton.  "  Surely  they  cannot  connect  you  with 
these  men." 

"  I  do  not  know  why  I  think  so,  but  I  am  as  con- 
fident that  I  will  be  brought  into  this  matter  as 
though  the  officers  were  already  here  to  arrest  me.'' 

While  he  yet  spoke,  there  came  a  knock  at  the 
chamber  door,  which,  on  being  opened,  revealed  the 
form  of  Captain  McCubbin. 

As  he  entered  the  room  he  gazed  furtively  around, 
and  his  salutation  to  Webster  was  very  different  from 
the  cordiality  which  had  marked  his  previous  visits. 

"  Good  morning,  Webster,"  said  he,  as  he  took 
the  offered  chair,  and  for  the  first  time  since  they  had 
known  each  other  neglecting  to  shake  the  invalid  by 
the  hand.  "  This  is  bad  news  about  Lewis  and 
Scully,  isn't  it  ?" 

"What  is  it?"  inquired  Webster,  apparently  re- 
ceiving the  information  for  the  first  time. 

"They  have  been  arrested  as  spies,  are  confined  in 
prison,  and  General  Winder  wants  that  letter  which 
they  brought  to  you  from  the  North." 

There  was  something  so  cold  and  imperious  in 
the  officer's  tones,  which  confirmed  Webster's  fears 
for  his  own  safety ;  but  without  evincing  the  slightest 
alarm,  he  cheerfully  made  reply  : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  this  news,  and  trust  that  they 


AND    A     PATRIOTS    HEROISM.  533 

will  be  able  to  exonerate  themselves  from  the  charge. 
Anything,  however,  that  General  Winder  wants  from 
me  will  be  cheerfully  given.  Mrs.  Lawton,  will  you 
get  the  letter,  and  hand  it  to  Captain  McCubbin." 

There  was  no  tremor  of  the  voice,  and  the  watch- 
ful Confederate  looked  in  vain  for  any  evidence  of 
fear  in  the  face  of  the  man,  who,  stricken  by  disease 
as  he  was,  still  showed  the  bravery  of  a  lion,  and 
gazed  unflinchingly  at  him.  Though  the  hand  of  fate 
was  upon  him,  Webster  never  lost  his  heroic  courage, 
and  bore  the  scrutiny  of  the  officer  without  the  quiver 
of  a  muscle. 

Captain  McCubbin  received  the  letter,  and  almost 
immediately  withdrew.  As  he  closed  the  door  behind 
him,  Webster  turned  to  his  faithful  companion,  and, 
in  a  low,  solemn  voice,  said  :  "  That  letter  has  sealed 
my  fate  !" 

From  this  point,  Webster's  physical  condition 
seemed  to  improve,  and  although  depressed  with 
fears  for  the  fate  of  his  companions,  he  gradually 
became  stronger,  and  was  at  length  able  to  leave  his 
bed  and  move  about  his  room. 

The  visits  of  his  numerous  friends  had  now  almost 
ceased.  From  General  Winder's  officers,  with  whom 
he  had  previously  been  so  intimate,  he  heard  nothing, 
nor  did  they  make  inquiries  about  his  health,  as  had 
been  their  custom.  Of  the  many  friends  in  private 
life,  who  had  surrounded  him,  only  two  remained. 
These  were  Mr.  Pierce  and  Mr.  Campbell,  with 


534  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION- 

whom  Webster  had  traveled  for  some  time,  and  his 
family.  This  dropping  away  of  old  friends,  and  the 
breaking  up  of  old  associations,  was  significant  to 
Webster  of  impending  danger.  It  must  be  that  he, 
too,  was  suspected,  and  that  the  favor  of  the  rebel 
authorities  had  been  withdrawn. 

Day  by  day,  during  his  convalescence,  did  the 
brave  little  woman  who  had  nursed  him  back  to  life, 
endeavor  to  encourage  him  to  a  hopeful  view  of  his 
situation,  and  to  impress  him  with  her  own  sanguine 
trust  for  a  favorable  outcome  from  this  present 
dilemma.  Webster  listened  to  the  bright  promises 
of  his  devoted  companion,  but  he  was  too  profoundly 
aware  of  the  danger  that  threatened  him  to  permit 
himself  to  hope  that  the  result  to  him  would  be  a  bene- 
ficial one. 

After  he  was  able  to  leave  his  bed,  he  accepted 
the  pressing  invitation  of  Mr.  Campbell,  and  was  re- 
moved to  the  residence  of  that  gentleman,  where  he 
would  be  more  quiet,  and  where  he  could  receive  that 
care  and  attention  which  could  not  be  afforded  him 
in  a  hotel.  The  kindness  of  Mr.  Campbell  and  his 
family  was  heartfelt  and  unceasing.  They  did  every- 
thing in  their  power  to  make  him  comfortable,  and 
their  courtesy  to  Mrs.  Lawton  was  as  marked  and 
genuine,  as  was  their  regard  and  care  for  Timothy 
Webster. 

Webster  had  been  domiciled  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Campbell  but  two  days,  when  one  of  Winder's  men 


AND    A    PATRIOTS    HEROISM.  535 

came  to  know  if  Webster  was  sufficiently  recovered 
to  go  out,  as  his  presence  was  imperatively  demanded 
at  the  court  room,  as  a  witness  in  the  trial  of  John 
Scully.  The  officer  further  stated  that  the  evidence 
of  Webster  had  been  solicited  by  Scully  himself. 
Finding  him  unable  still  to  leave  the  house,  the 
officer  stated  that  arrangements  would  be  made  by 
which  his  testimony  could  be  taken  in  his  room.  On 
the  second  day  after  the  appearance  of  the  officer, 
the  court-martial  adjourned  to  Campbell's  house, 
and  Scully  accompanied  them.  Seating  themselves 
around  the  bedside  of  the  invalid,  the  court  was 
formally  opened,  and  Webster  was  requested  to  state 
what  he  knew  of  the  antecedents  of  the  accused. 

Though  very  weak,  and  speaking  with  consider- 
able difficulty,  Webster  made  his  statement.  He  said 
that  he  had  known  John  Scully  from  April,  1861,  to 
the  time  of  his  arrest.  That  the  prisoner  was  in 
Baltimore  when  he  first  met  him,  and  was  always  in 
the  company  of  known  secessionists,  and  was  con- 
sidered by  them  to  be  a  good  friend  to  the  South. 
So  far  as  he  had  any  knowledge  of  the  accused  he 
was  what  he  assumed  to  be,  and  that  his  appearance 
in  Richmond  was  a  surprise  to  him.  He  was  not 
known  to  be  in  the  employ  of  the  government,  and 
Webster  had  never  met  him  under  any  circumstances 
which  would  indicate  that  fact. 

This  was  all  that  he  could  say,  and  although 
closely  questioned  by  the  president  of  the  court,  and 


536  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

the  attorneys  present,  he  insisted  that  his  knowledge 
of  John  Scully  was  confined  to  what  he  had  already 
stated.  Finding  it  impossible  to  obtain  any  further 
information  upon  this  subject  from  the  sick  man,  the 
court,  in  a  body,  left  the  room,  and  departed  from 
the  house. 

Mrs.  Lawton,  who  had  been  compelled  to  retire 
on  the  entrance  of  the  Confederate  authorities,  and 
who  had  been  in  a  wild  state  of  excitement  and  ap- 
prehension during  their  visit,  instantly  repaired  to 
Webster's  room.  When  she  entered  the  chamber, 
she  found  that  the  brave  man,  after  the  exciting  ex- 
periences through  which  he  had  been  compelled  to- 
pass,  had  fainted.  His  strength  of  will,  which  had 
supported  him  through  the  investigation,  had  given 
way,  and  he  lay,  limp  and  inanimate,  upon  the  bed. 

Several  days  of  anxiety  and  solicitude  now  passed. 
Unable  to  learn  any  tidings  of  his  unfortunate  com- 
rades, Webster  tortured  himself  with  all  manner  of 
vague  fears  and  doubts  as  to  their  probable  fate,  all 
of  which  had  their  effect  in  retarding  his  recovery, 
and  keeping  him  confined  to  his  room. 

At  last,  after  days  of  weary  and  anxious  waiting, 
the  newspapers  were  brought  in  one  morning,  and 
the  information  of  the  conviction  of  Lewis  and  Scully 
was  duly  chronicled.  The  same  paper  also  announced 
the  day  upon  which  their  death  was  so  speedily  to 
follow.  This  filled  the  cup  of  Webster's  misery  to 
overflowing,  and,  sinking  upon  a  chair,  he  wept  like 


AND     A     PATRIOTS    HEROISM.  537 

a  child.  Refusing  to  be  comforted,  although  Mrs. 
Lawton  exerted  herself  to  the  utmost,  Webster 
paced  the  room,  half  frantic  with  his  grief,  at  the  hor- 
rible fate  which  had  overtaken  his  friends. 

Slowly  the  day  passed,  and  when  the  shadows  of 
evening  were  falling  Webster  was  at  last  induced  to 
lie  down,  and  attempt  to  snatch  a  few  hours  sleep. 
He  was  soon  slumbering  quietly,  although  ever  and 
anon  he  would  start  nervously  and  utter  an  inarticu- 
late moan,  as  though  his  mind  was  stil  troubled  with 
the  sad  events  of  the  day.  While  he  lay  thus,  at- 
tended by  Mrs.  Lawton,  Mr.  Campbell  suddenly  en- 
tered the  room,  with  a  look  of  fear  upon  his  face, 
which  filled  Mrs.  Lawton  with  alarm. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?"  she  hurriedly  ejaculated. 

"  One  of  Winder's  men  is  below,  and  I  fear  his 
presence  indicates  misfortune  for  Webster,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  Who  is  it?" 

"  Cashmeyer,"  answered  Mr.  Campbell.  "  He  in- 
quired for  Webster,  and  says  he  must  see  him  at 
once." 

Webster,  disturbed  by  this  conversation,  was 
awake  in  an  instant  and  inquired  what  was  wanted. 

"  Cashmeyer  has  called,  and  wishes  to  see  you," 
said  Mr.  Campbell.  . 

"  Let  him  come  up  at  once,"  replied  Webster,  in 
the  hope  that  he  might  bring  some  tidings  of  Lewis 
and  Scully. 


538  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

Mr.  Campbell  departed,  and  in  a  few  moments  re- 
turned with  the  Confederate  officer.  Cashmeyer's 
salutation  was  cold  and  formal,  and  without  any  pre- 
liminary he  addressed  Webster. 

"  I  have  a  painful  duty  to  perform,  Mr.  Webster.  I 
am  directed  by  General  Winder  to  arrest  you,  and 
convey  you  at  once  to  Castle  Godwin." 

As  he  spoke,  two  soldiers  appeared  at  the  door- 
way. 

"  You  cannot  wish  to  take  him  away  in  this  condi- 
tion, and  at  this  hour  of  the  night,"  said  Mrs.  Law- 
ton.  "Such  an  action  would  be  his  death,  and 
would  be  the  worst  of  inhumanity." 

» 

Webster  stood  silent  and  unmoved.  He  did  not 
utter  a  word,  but  gazed  fixedly  at  the  officer,  whose 
visits  heretofore  had  been  those  of  sympathy  and  con- 
dolence. 

"  I  cannot  help  it,"  said  Cashmeyer,  "  my  orders 
are  to  take  him  dead,  or  alive,  and  those  orders  I 
must  obey." 

"Then,"  said  Mrs.  Lawton,  "  I  will  go  too.  He 
needs  care  and  attention,  without  it  he  will  die,  and 
no  one  can  nurse  him  so  well  as  I." 

Cashmeyer  gazed  at  the  brave  little  woman  for 
a  moment,  and  a  shade  of  pity  came  over  his  face. 

"  I  am  sorry  ty  inform  you,  that  my  orders  are 
to  arrest  you  also,  and  to  search  your  trunks." 

"This  is  infamous,"  exclaimed  Webster;  "what 
can  Winder  mean  by  arresting  this  woman,  and  what 


AND    A    PATRIOTS    HEROISM.  539 

am  I  charged  with  that  renders   your   orders  neces- 
sary ?" 

"  Webster,"  answered  Cashmeyer,  "  as  God  is  my 
witness,  I  do  not  know ;  I  only  know  what  my  orders 
are,  and  that  I  must  obey  them." 

Without  further  parley,  Webster  and  Mrs.  Lawton 
prepared  to  accompany  their  guards,  and  Cashmeyer, 
demanding  their  keys,  commenced  a  search  of  their 
trunks,  which  resulted  in  his  finding  nothing  that 
would  criminate  his  prisoners. 

A  carriage  was  procured,  and  Webster  was  assisted 
into  it,  while  Mrs.  Lawton,  under  the  escort  of  Cash- 
meyer was  compelled  to  walk.  It  was  quite  late 
when  they  arrived  at  the  prison,  and  as  Price  Lewis 
was  ascending  to  his  cell,  Webster  and  his  faithful 
female  companion  entered  the  gloomy  portals  of  the 
jail. 

General  Winder  was  present  when  they  arrived, 
and  after  a  hurried  examination  Webster  was  re- 
manded to  a  room,  in  which  a  number  of  Union 
prisoners  were  already  confined,  and  the  atmosphere 
of  which  was  reeking  with  filth  and  disease. 

As  he  entered  the  room,  pale  and  emaciated,  and 
scarcely  able  to  walk,  the  prisoners  gathered  around, 
in  silent  pity  for  his  forlorn  condition. 

"  My  God !"  excaimed  one  of  their  number, 
"  they  will  send  the  dead  here  next." 

Mrs.  Lawton  was  conducted  before  the  General, 
but  she  stoutly  declined  to  answer  a  single  question 


540  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

that  was  propounded  to  her.  This  so  enraged  the 
valiant  officer  that  he  ordered  her  to  be  taken  away 
at  once.  She  was  then  conducted  to  a  room  in 
which  another  lady  was  confined,  and  left  for  the 
night. 

As  midnight  tolled  its  solemn  hour  over  the  city, 
and  the  tramp  of  armed  men  resounded  through  the 
streets,  the  noise's  within  the  prison  died  away.  An 
awful  and  impressive  silence  brooded  over  the  place. 
The  dim  light  in  the  corridor  shone  faintly  upon  four 
miserable  human  beings,  who  tossed  restlessly  upon 
sleepless  couches  through  the  long,  weary  watches  of 
the  night. 

Who  can  tell  the  thoughts  that  thronged  through 
their  brains,  as  the  slow  moving  hours  advanced 
toward  the  dawn  ?  The  brave  woman  who  had  besn 
cruelly  deprived  of  her  privilege  to  administer  to  the 
needs  of  her  suffering  friend.  The  heroic  Webster, 
wasted  by  disease,  weakened  by  his  long  and  painful 
illness,  but  still  brave  and  defiant.  Price  Lewis  and 
John  Scully,  tortured  with  the  thoughts  of  their  im- 
pending fate,  and  harassed  with  reflections  of  a  more 
agonizing  nature,  which  we  may  not  analyse. 

The  trial  of  Webster  was  ordered  for  an  early 
day.  With  a  haste  that  was  inhuman,  the  Provost- 
Marshal  made  his  preparations  for  the  farce  of  an  in- 
vestigation. It  seemed  as  though  he  was  fearful  that 
his  victim  would  die,  ere  he  could  wreak  his  ven- 
geance upon  him.  The  court  was  convened,  and, 


AND    A     PATRIOT'S    HEROFSM.  541 

owing  to  Webster's  weakened  condition,  their  ses- 
sions were  held  in  the  jail.  For  three  long,  weary 
weeks  did  the  investigation  drag  its  slow  length 
along,  although  it  was  apparent  that  those  who  tried 
him  had  already  decided  upon  his  fate.  Numerous 
witnesses  were  examined,  and  testimony  was  admitted 
which  would  have  been  excluded  by  any  righteous 
tribunal  whose  ideas  of  justice  were  not  obscured  by 
an  insane  desire  for  revenge. 

Price  Lewis  and  John  Scully  were  compelled  to 
give  their  evidence  ;  and  although  they  attempted  to 
do  their  utmost  to  lessen  the  effect  of  their  testimony, 
it  bore  heavily  against  the  poor  prisoner,  who  sat 
pale  and  emaciated  before  them,  and  whose  heart 
never  failed  him  through  the  long  and  tedious  ordeal. 
What  Webster's  feelings  must  have  been  during 
this  harrowing  experience  is  unknown  to  any  one. 
What  thoughts  were  rushing  through  his  brain,  as  the 
damaging  statements  fell  from  the  lips  of  his  late  as- 
sociates, were  never  revealed  by  him.  No  murmurs 
escaped  his  lips,  no  words  of  censure  or  blame 
against  the  men  whose  evidence  cost  him  his  life, 
were  ever  uttered.  A  heroic  calmness,  born  of  the 
very  despair  which  oppressed  him  from  the  first,  was 
manifest  throughout  the  long,  weary  investigation. 
Indeed  so  manfully  had  he  borne  himself,  so  com- 
pletely had  he  controlled  his  feelings,  that  his 
physical  health  perceptibly  improved,  so  much  so 
that  the  tribunal  removed  their  sittings  to  the  court- 


542  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

house,  and  Webster  was  able  to  be  in  daily  at- 
tendance. 

Webster  had  secured  able  counsel  for  his  defence, 
and  they  did  all  that  was  possible  for  man  to  do. 
Although  they  were  rebels,  their  efforts  in  behalf  of 
the  accused  spy  were  such,  that  if  pleadings  could 
have  availed  him  aught,  his  fate  would  have  been 
averted. 

It  was  not  to  be,  however  ;  the  trial  came  to  an 
end  at  last.  A  verdict  of  guilty  followed  quickly 
upon  the  heels  of  the  partial  and  antagonistic  charge 
of  the  judge,  and  Timothy  Webster  was  convicted  of 
being  a  spy  in  the  employ  of  the  Federal  authorities. 

Not  even  then  did  the  brave  spirit  break  down. 
Firm  and  heroic  he  received  the  fatal  verdict,  and 
the  satisfaction  of  his  enemies  was  robbed  of  its  value 
by  the  unflinching  deportment  of  their  victim. 

After  the  trial,  he  was  remanded  to  a  cell,  and 
closely  watched.  But  a  little  time  elapsed,  and  then 
came  the  warrant  for  his  execution.  An  officer  ap- 
peared in  the  cell,  the  paper  was  produced,  and  the 
faithful,  brave,  true-hearted  man  was  condemned  to 
be  hung  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  April,  but  ten 

days  after  the  approval  of  his  sentence. 

###### 

The  Union  army  was  before  Yorktown.  Mc- 
Clellan  had  already  sustained  two  serious  disappoint- 
ments, and  both  of  them  at  the  hands  of  the  govern- 
ment at  Washington.  In  the  first  place,  on  his 


v^to         11  sz=^ 


AND    A     PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  543 

arrival  at  Fort  Monroe,  he  had  ascertained  that  the 
promised  assistance  of  the  navy  could  not  be  relied 
upon  in  the  least,  and  that  their  efficient  co-operation 
with  him  would  be  an  utter  impossibility.  This  inter- 
ference with  his  plans  might  have  been  overcome, 
although  the  loss  of  the  naval  support  was  a  serious 
misfortune  to  him  ;  but  a  more  surprising  and  dis- 
heartening act  of  the  authorities  was  yet  in  store  for 
him.  A  few  days  later,  he  was  thunderstruck  at  the 
unexpected  information  that  General  McDowell's 
entire  corps,  upon  whose  assistance  he  had  confidently 
relied,  was  detached  from  his  command,  and  had  been 
ordered  to  remain  in  front  of  Washington,  for  the 
protection  of  the  capital,  which  was  erroneously 
believed  to  be  in  imminent  danger  of  capture  by  the 
rebels.  These  events  rendered  a  scientific  siege  of 
Yorktown  a  necessity;  and  while  engaged  in  this 
laborious  work,  I  was  in  constant  consultation  with 
the  commanding  General.  Numerous  scouts  had 
been  sent  out  through  the  rebel  country,  and  the  secret 
service  department  was  taxed  to  its  utmost.  George 
H.  Bangs  was  busily  engaged  in  examining  the  rebel 
deserters  and  prisoners,  .Southern  refugees  and  con- 
trabands, who  were  either  captured  or  came  willingly 
into  camp,  and  in  preparing  daily  reports  of  our 
movements,  which  were  required  to  be  made  to  the 
General  in  command.  I  had  accompanied  McClellan 
upon  this  campaign,  and  gave  my  untiring  personal 
supervision  to  the  management  of  the  large  corps  of 


544  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

men  and  women,  white  and  black,  then  engaged  in 
obtaining  information. 

During  all  this  time,  not  a  word  had  been  received 
of  my  missing  operatives.  Tortured  by  the  uncer- 
tainty of  their  fate,  I  passed  many  an  anxious  hour. 
At  length  all  doubts  were  set  at  rest,  and  a  dreadful 
certainty  manifested  itself  to  my  mind.  A  news- 
paper, published  in  Richmond,  was  received  by  me, 
and  in  hastily  perusing  its  contents,  with  a  view  of 
acquring  such  military  information  as  it  contained, 
my  eye  alighted  upon  a  small  paragraph,  which  filled 
me  with  dread  and  sorrow.  This  paragraph  was  the 
simple  announcement  that  Price  Lewis  and  John 
Scully  had  been  arrested  as  spies  in  the  rebel  capital, 
and  had  been  sentenced  to  be  hung  on  the  6th  day  of 
April. 

I  cannot  detail  the  effect  which  this  announce- 
ment produced  upon  me.  For  a  moment  I  sat  almost 
stupefied,  and  unable  to  move.  My  blood  seemed  to 
freeze  in  my  veins — my  heart  stood  still — I  was 
speechless.  By. degrees  I  was  able  to  exercise  a 
strong  command  over  myself.  I  then  sought  my 
immediate  associates,  and  communicated  the  fatal 
news  to  them.  Their  consternation  and  grief  were 
equal  to  my  own.  Every  man  seemed  to  be  im- 
pressed with  the  solemnity  of  the  fate  of  their  com- 
rades. What  was  to  be  done  ?  How  to  intercede  in 
their  behalf  ?  I  rushed  to  the  tent  of  General  Mc- 
Clellan,  and  relating  the  news  to  him,  besought  his 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  545 

aid  in  this  direful  extremity.  His  sympathy  and 
sorrow  were  as  acute  as  though  the  men  had  been 
joined  to  him  by  ties  of  blood.  Anxiously  we  dis- 
cussed the  situation,  in  the  vain  attempt  to  seek  some 
mode  of  obtaining  their  release,  and  all  without 
definite  or  satisfactory  conclusion. 

All  that  night  I  paced  the  camp,  unable  to  sleep 
— unable  almost  to  think  intelligently;  and  when 
morning  dawned  I  was  as  far  from  devising  any 
practical  plan  of  relief  as  when  I  first  received  the 
information. 

I  telegraphed  to  Captain  Milward,  Harbor-Master 
at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  in  charge  of  the  flag-of- 
truce  boat  for  exchanging  prisoners,  asking  him  to 
endeavor  to  ascertain  from  the  Richmond  papers,  or 
from  any  other  source,  anything  definite  as  to  the 
fate  of  my  unfortunate  operatives. 

Several  messages  were  received  from  that  officer, 
containing  various  statements  of  the  case,  and  finally 
came  the  crushing  intelligence  that  Lewis  and  Scully 
had  been  respited,  after  having  given  information 
which  implicated  Timothy  Webster,  whom  the  rebels 
now  regarded  as  the  chief  spy  of  the  three. 

This  was  the  crowning  burden  of  all,  and  I  was 
almost  prostrated  by  the  blow.  Hurried  consulta- 
tions were  held,  every  conceivable  plan  was  suggested 
and  discussed,  which  would  avail  in  the  slightest; 
degree  to  avert  so  terrible  a  fate  from  the  faithful 
patriot  who  now  was  in  such  deadly  danger. 

35 


546  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

I  suggested  that  General  McClellan  should  send, 
by  flag-of-truce  boat,  such  a  demand  as  would,  if 
possible,  save  their  lives ;  but  to  this  the  General 
demurred,  fearing,  and  justly  too,  that  such  a  course 
might  be  productive  of  more  injury  than  good — that 
it  would  be  a  tacit  acknowledgment  of  their  real 
character  as  spies,  and  they  would  be  hung  without 
further  delay. 

It  was  at  last  decided  that  I  should  go  to  Wash- 
ington, accompanied  by  Colonel  Key,  an  eminent 
patriot,  and  an  efficient  member  of  General  McClellan's 
staff.  We  were  to  confer  with  the  President  and  the 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  lay  the  matter  before  them, 
and  petition  for  the  official  interposition  of  the 
government  in  their  behalf. 

WTith  Colonel  Key,  I  started  for  Washington, 
about  the  middle  of  April.  The  interest  of  that 
officer  was  scarcely  second  to  my  own,  and  he  was 
fully  determined  to  exert  every  energy  of  his  manly, 
sympathetic  nature  in  the  work  of  saving  their  lives, 
if  possible. 

The  journey  to  Washington  was  quickly  made. 
Mr.  Lincoln  was  readily  seen,  and  he,  too,  filled  with 
sympathy  for  the  unfortunate  men,  promised  to  call  a 
special  session  of  the  Cabinet  to  consider  the  case, 
that  evening. 

In  the  meantime,  Colonel  Key  and  I  occupied 
ourselves  in  visiting  the  various  heads  of  the  depart- 
ments, in  order  to  prepare  them,  before  evening 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  547 

arrived,  for  energetic  and  speedy  action.  We  felt 
that  no  time  was  to  be  lost ;  if,  indeed,  it  was  not 
already  too  late  to  avert  their  dreadful  doom. 

Secretary  Stanton,  whom,  among  others,  we  saw, 
expressed  in  strong  terms  his  willingness  to  assist 
Webster  to  the  extent  of  the  resources  of  the  govern- 
ment, but  he  was  but  little  disposed  to  assist  the 
others,  who,  he  alleged,  had  "  betrayed  their  com- 
panion to  save  their  own  lives." 

In  the  evening  the  Cabinet  was  convened,  and, 
after  a  full  discussion  of  the  matter,  it  was  decided 
that  the  only  thing  that  could  be  done,  was  to  author- 
ize the  Secretary  of  War  to  communicate  with  the 
rebel  authorities  upon  the  subject.  He  was  directed 
to  authorize  General  Wool  to  send  by  flag-of-truce 
boat,  or  by  telegraph,  a  message  to  Jefferson  Davis, 
representing  that  the  course  pursued  by  the  Federal 
government  toward  rebel  spies  had  heretofore  been 
lenient  and  forbearing ;  that  in  many  cases  such  per- 
sons had  been  released  after  a  short  confinement,  and 
that  in  no  instance  had  any  one  so  charged  been  tried 
for  his  life,  or  sentenced  to  death.  The  message  con- 
cluded with  the  decided  intimation  that  if  the  rebel 
government  proceeded  to  carry  their  sentence  of 
death  into  execution,  the  Federal  government  would 
initiate  a  system  of  retaliation  which  would  amply 
revenge  the  death  of  the  men  now  held. 

Receiving  a  copy  of  these  instructions,  Colonel 
Key  and  myself,  feeling  that  we  had  exhausted  the 


548  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

power  of  the  government  in  this  matter,  returned  at 
once  to  Fortress  Monroe.  We  arrived  there  on  the  23d 
day  of  April.  General  Wool  was  immediately  found, 
and  without  a  moment's  delay,  he  caused  the  required 
dispatches  to  be  forwarded,  by  way  of  Norfolk, 
through  General  Huger,  who  was  then  in  command 
of  that  place,  with  the  urgent  request  that  he  would 
instantly  transmit  it  by  telegraph  to  the  Richmond 
authorities. 

This,  I  learned,  was  done  as  had  been  requested, 
and  I  learned  further,  that  it  reached  the  officers  of 
the  rebel  government,  and  received  their  considera- 
tion in  time  to  have  been  of  avail,  had  there  been 
one  spark  of  manly  sympathy  animating  the  breasts 
of  those  who  were  the  leaders  of  a  vile  conspiracy  to 
destroy  the  noblest  government  under  the  blue 
canopy  of  heaven. 

Feeling  that  all  had  now  been  done  that  was  pos- 
sible to  save  the  lives  of  my  men,  and  believing  that 
the  hate  and  malignity  of  the  rebel  officers  would 
not  carry  them  to  such  a  murderous  extent  as  this,  I 
awaited  the  result  of  our  mission  with  painful  solici- 
tude. 

****** 

After  the  day  of  execution  had  been  fixed,  Mrs. 
Lawton  was  permitted  to  visit  Webster  in  the  room 
to  which  he  had  been  assigned.  During  all  the  time 
that  the  trial  had  been  in  progress,  they  had  never 
been  allowed  to  communicate  with  each  other,  and 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  549 

the  noble  little  woman  had  been  compelled  to  suffer 
in  silence,  while  Webster  was  undergoing  the  painful 
experiences  of  the  investigation,  which  had  resulted 
in  his  being  condemned  to  be  hung  as  a  spy. 

The  meeting  between  Webster  and  Mrs.  Lawton 
was  a  most  affecting  one.  Tears  filled  the  eyes  of  the 
faithful  woman,  as  she  gazed  at  the  pale  and  emaci- 
ated form  of  the  heroic  patriot.  Their  hands  were 
clasped  in  a  warm  pressure,  and  her  words  of  heart- 
felt sympathy  and  grief  were  choked  by  the  sobs 
which  shook  her  frame.  Even  in  the  excess  of  his 
despair,  Webster's  fortitude  never  for  a  moment  for- 
sook him.  He  bore  the  burdens  which  had  been  im- 
posed upon  him  with  a  courage  and  firmness  that 
impressed  all  who  witnessed  it. 

Under  Mrs.  Lawton's  direction,  the  room  in 
which  he  was  confined  was  soon  made  cheerful  and 
clean ;  with  her  own  hands  she  prepared  for  him  such 
delicacies  as  he  needed  most,  and  her  words  of  com- 
fort were  of  great  effect  in  soothing  his  mind,  and  in 
preparing  him  for  the  dreadful  fate  which  he  was 
called  upon  to  meet. 

Nor  did  Mrs.  Lawton  stop  here.  She  sought  an 
interview  with  Jefferson  Davis,  but,  finding  him  en- 
gaged with  General  Lee,  she  obtained  the  privilege 
of  visiting  the  wife  of  the  Confederate  president.  With 
Mrs.  Davis  she  pleaded  long  and  earnestly  in  behalf 
of  the  condemned  man.  Besought  her  by  every  holy 
tie  of  her  own  life  to  intercede  for  the  pardon  of 


550  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

the  poor  invalid,  whose  life  hung  by  so  slender  a 
thread. 

All  in  vain,  however.  While  fully  sympathizing 
with  the  fate  of  the  unfortunate  man,  Mrs.  Davis  de- 
clined to  interfere  in  matters  of  state,  and  Mrs.  Law- 
ton  left  the  house  utterly  hopeless  of  being  able  to 
avert  the  dreadful  fate  which  impended  over  Webster: 

The  hours  flew  swiftly  by,  and  the  day  of  execu- 
tion drew  near,  and  still  a  ray  of  hope  glistened 
through  the  gloom  which  surrounded  him.  If 
McClellan  only  succeeded  in  capturing  Richmond  all 
would  be  well.  But  as  the  days  passed,  and  this  re- 
sult seemed  further  from  accomplishment  than  ever, 
even  that  flickering  ember  of  hope  died  out,  and  he 
prepared  to  meet  his  fate  like  a  man. 

One  thing,  however,  impressed  the  doomed  man 
more  than  anything  else — the  thought  of  being 
hung.  Any  other  mode  of  punishment  would  have 
been  accepted  with  joy,  but  to  be  hanged  like  a  mur- 
derer, was  a  disgrace  which  he  could  not  bear  to 
think  about.  On  the  day  before  his  execution,  he 
requested  a  visit  from  General  Winder,  and  that  of- 
ficer, evidently  expecting  a  revelation  from  the  lips 
of  his  victim,  soon  made  his  appearance  at  the  prison. 

As  he  entered  the  cell  where  Webster  was  reclin- 
ing upon  his  couch,  he  roughly  accosted  him: 

"  Webster,  you  have  sent  for  me ;  what  is  it  that 
you  desire?" 

"  General    Winder,"    replied    Webster,  "  I    have 


AND    A     PATRIOTS    HEROISM.  551 

sent  for  you  to  make  an  appeal  to  your  manhood  ; 
my  fate  is  sealed  I  know  that  too  well — I  am  to  die, 
and  I  wish  to  die  like  a  man.  I  know  there  is  no 
hope  for  mercy,  but,  sir,  I  beseech  you  to  permit  me 
to  be  shot,  not  be  hanged  like  a  common  felon, — 
anything  but  that." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  cannot  be  done,"  said  Winder, 
coldly. 

"  It  is  not  much  to  ask,"  pleaded  Webster;  "  I  am 
to  die,  and  am  prepared,  but,  sir,  for  God's  sake  let 
me  not  die  like  this  ;  change  but  the  manner  of  my 
death,  and  no  murmur  shall  escape  my  lips." 

"  I  cannot  alter  the  sentence  that  has  been  or- 
dered." 

Mrs.  Lawton,  who  was  present,  and  unable  fur- 
ther to  restrain  herself,  exclaimed  : 

"  General,  as  a  woman  I  appeal  to  you — you  have 
the  power,  and  can  exercise  it.  Do  not,  I  pray  you, 
condemn  this  brave  man  to  the  odium  of  a  felon's 
death.  Think  of  his  family,  and  his  suffering.  Let 
the  manliness  of  your  own  heart  plead  for  him. 
It  is  not  much  that  he  asks.  He  does  not  sue  for 
pardon.  He  seeks  not  to  escape  your  judgment, 
harsh  and  cruel  as  it  is.  He  only  prays  to  be 
allowed  to  die  like  a  brave  man  in  the  service  of  his 
country.  You  certainly  can  lose  nothing  by  granting 
this  request,  therefore,  in  the  name  of  justice  and 
humanity,  let  him  be  shot  instead  of  the  dreadful 
death  you  have  ordained  for  him." 


552  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

While  she  was  speaking,  the  hard  lines  about  the 
rebel's  mouth  grew  still  more  harsh  and  rigid.  He 
did  not  attempt  to  interrupt  her,  but  when  she  had 
finished,  he  turned  coolly  upon  his  heel,  and,  as  he 
reached  the  door  he  said : 

"  His  request  and  yours  must  be  denied.  He 
hangs  to-morrow." 

"  Then,"  ejaculated  the  undaunted  woman,  "  he  will 
die  like  a  man,  and  his  death  will  be  upon  your  head, 
— a  living  curse  until  your  own  dark  hour  shall  come  !" 

Without  deigning  to  notice  them  further,  he 
passed  out  of  the  cell,  violently  closing  the  door  be- 
hind him. 

The  shadows  of  the  night  came  down  over  the 
prison.  The  last  night  on  earth  to  a  brave  man  who 
had  met  death  in  a  hundred  forms  ere  this.  How 
many  times  the  gaunt,  repulsive  form  of  the  fatal  scaf- 
fold, appeared  to  the  vision  of  the  condemned  man,  as 
he  sat  firm  and  rigid  in  his  dark  cell,  we  may  not  know. 
How  many  times  he  lived  over  again  the  bright 
scenes  of  his  past  life  !  The  happy,  careless  days  of 
childhood,  when  the  fond  eyes  of  a  loving  mother 
beamed  upon  him  in  his  sportive  gambols.  His 
school  days,  the  lessons  conned  by  the  evening  lamp 
in  the  dear  old  home  of  long  ago.  The  merry  days 
of  youth,  which  glided  away  amid  scenes  of  mirth  and 
jollity.  The  first  dawnings  of  the  passion  of  his  life, 
when  a  soft  hand  nestled  lovingly  in  his,  and  earnest 
eyes,  full  of  love  and  trust,  seemed  to  speak  a  world 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  553 

of  affection.  Then  the  stirring  scenes  of  active  life, 
he  a  man  among  men  battling  with  the  world,  per- 
forming his  daily  duties,  mingling  honorably  with  his 
fellows,  and  upheld  by  a  pride  of  honor  and  self-re- 
spect. His  sacrifices  for  his  country  in  the  dark  hour 
of  her  peril.  The  lonely  marches,  the  weary  bur- 
dens, the  unflinching  steadfastness  of  his  fealty  to  his 
government  The  long  nights  of  storm  and  danger, 
the  varying  episodes  of  pleasure  and  of  pain,  conflicts 
with  enemies,  and  happy  hours  with  friendly  compan- 
ions— all  these  thoughts  came  upon  him  with  a  dis- 
tinctness which  brought  their  actual  presence  near. 
Now  he  was  listening  to  the  sweet  lullaby  of  his 
mother's  voice,  now  he  stood  in  the  hall  of  the  "  Sons 
of  Liberty,"  in  the  midst  of  affrighted  conspirators 
and  blue-coated  soldiers — anon  he  strayed  by  a  purl- 
ing stream,  with  a  loved  one  upon  his  arm — and  again 
he  breasted  the  dashing  waters  and  the  deluging  storm 
on  the  bay,  as  he  rescued  the  women  and  children 
from  the  stranded  boat.  So  vivid  were  these  pictures 
of  his  mind  that  he  lived  again  a  hundred  scenes  of 
his  past  life,  partook  of  a  hundred  pleasures,  shared 
in  a  hundred  sorrows.  Suddenly  in  the  midst  of 
some  thrilling  vision  of  by-gone  days,  the  flickering 
of  his  lamp  or  the  tread  of  the  sentry  outside  would 
recall  him  from  a  delightful  reverie  to  the  dark  and 
dreadful  present.  Then  gloomy  and  despondent 
thoughts  would  come  to  him.  He  would  picture 
minutely  the  scenes  of  the  morrow,  the  rude  platform, 


554  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

the  dangling  noose,   the  armed  soldiers,  the  hideous 
black  cap,  the  springing  of  the  gallows  trap. 

Then,  unable  to  bear  the  agony  of  his  thoughts, 
he  would  start  to  his  feet,  press  his  hands  to  his  ears, 
as  if  to  drown  the  fearful  sounds,  and  pace  rapidly 
the  narrow  cell.  Mrs.  Lawton  never  left  him  ;  ever 
alert  to  his  needs,  ever  ready  with  sustaining  words, 
although  her  own  brave,  tender  heart  was  breaking, 
she  did  her  utmost  to  strengthen  and  sustain  him. 
Gradually  he  became  calmer.  The  slow  moving 
hours  passed  on,  and  he  resolutely  performed  the  last 
duties  that  devolved  upon  him.  Messages  were  con- 
fided to  his  unwavering  nurse  for  the  dear  friends 
at  home  ;  expressions  of  love  and  regard  for  his 
kindred,  and  unswerving  breathings  of  devotion  to 
his  country. 

"  Tell  Major  Allen  that  I  met  my  fate  like  a  man. 
Thank  him  for  his  many  acts  of  kindness  to  me.  I 
have  done  my  duty,  and  I  can  meet  death  with  a 
brave  heart  and  a  clear  conscience." 

The  first  faint  streaks  of  the  early  dawn  came  in 
through  the  grated  window ;  the  sun  was  rising  in  the 
heavens,  brightly  and  gloriously  lighting  up  a  day 
that  should  have  been  shrouded  in  gloom.  Its  beams 
illumined  the  little  chamber,  where  Webster  lay  calm 
and  wakeful,  his  hands  clasped  by  the  woman  who ' 
had  so  nobly  shared  his  captivity. 

A  silence  had  fallen  upon  them.  Each  was  busy 
with  thoughts  which  lips  could  not  utter,  and  the 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  555 

deathlike  stillness  was  undisturbed  save  by  the  tramp 
of  the  guards  in  the  corridor. 

Suddenly  there  came  the  sound  of  hurried  foot- 
steps. They  paused  before  the  door.  The  heavy 
bolts  were  shot  back,  and  in  the  doorway  stood  Cap- 
Alexander,  the  officer  in  charge. 

The  little  clock -that  ticked  upon  the  wall  noted  a 
quarter  past  five  o'clock. 

"  Come,  Webster,  it  is  time  to  go." 

There  was  no  sympathy  in  the  rough  voice  which 
uttered  these  words. 

"  To  go  where  ?"  inquired  Webster,  starting  up  in 
surprise. 

"  To  the  fair  grounds,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  Surely  not  at  this  hour,"  pleaded  the  condemned 
man  ;  "  the  earliest  moment  named  in  my  death- 
warrant  is  six  o'clock,  and  you  certainly  will  not 
require  me  to  go  before  that." 

"  It  is  the  order  of  General  Winder,  and  I  must 
obey,"  answered  Alexander.  "You  must  prepare 
yourself  at  once." 

Without  another  word  Webster  arose  from  his 
bed,  and  began  his  preparations.  Not  a  tremor  was 
apparent,  and  his  hand  was  as  steady  and  firm  as 
iron.  When  he  had  fully  arranged  his  toilet,  he 
t'urned  to  Mrs.  Lawton,  and  taking  both  her  hands 
in  his,  he  murmured  : 

"  Good-bye,  dear  friend  ;  we  shall  never  meet  again 
on  earth.  God  bless  you,  and  your  kindness  to  me. 


556  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

I  will  be  brave,  and  die  like  a  man.  Farewell,  for- 
ever !"  then  turning  to  Captain  Alexander,  who  stood 
unmoved  near  the  door,  he  said  : 

"  I  am  ready  !" 

As  they  went  out  through  the  door,  a  piercing 
shriek  rent  the  air,  and  Mrs.  Lawton  fell  prostrate  to 
the  floor. 

Arriving  at  the  entrance  to  the  prison,  they  found 
a  company  of  cavalry  drawn  up  before  them,  and  a 
carriage,  procured  by  Mrs.  Lawton,  awaiting  their 
appearance.  Webster  crossed  the  pavement  with  un- 
faltering step  and  entered  the  vehicle,  the  order  to 
march  was  given,  and  the  procession  started  for  the 
scene  of  execution. 

At  Camp  Lee,  the  scene  was  one  of  bustle  and 
excitement.  Soldiers  were  moving  about  in  compa- 
nies, and  in  small  detachments.  Eager  spectators 
were  there,  curious  to  watch  the  proceedings,  and  the 
streets  leading  to  the  grounds  were  lined  with  people 
whose  prevailing  emotion  seemed  to  be  that  of  idle 
curiosity. 

On  arriving  at  the  camp,  Webster  was  conducted 
into  a  small  room,  on  the  ground  floor  of  one  of  the 
buildings,  and  was  left  alone  with  the  clergyman  who 
had  been  requested  to  accompany  him. 

Thus  he  remained  for  several  hours.  At  ten  min- 
utes past  eleven,  the  carriage  was  drawn  up  before 
the  door,  and  Webster  appeared  leaning  upon  the  arm 
of  the  jailer,  and  attended  by  his  spiritual  adviser. 


AND    A    PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  557 

The  doomed  man  wore  a  look  of  calm  composure. 
His  face  was  pale,  and  the  feebleness  of  his  condition 
was  manifest  in  his  tottering  walk ;  but  his  eye  was 
clear  and  steady  and  not  a  muscle  of  his  face  betrayed 
his  emotion. 

They  reached  the  scaffold,  which  was  erected  on 
the  north  side  of  the  parade  ground.  Slowly  and 
painfully  he  ascended  to  the  platform.  Amid  a 
breathless  silence,  he  stood  for  a  moment  and  gazed 
about  him.  The  bright  blue  sky  overhead,  the  mus- 
kets of  the  soldiers  glistening  in  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
the  white,  eager  faces  which  surrounded  him.  His 
last  lo'ok  on  earth.  Though  much  exhausted  by  his 
long  illness,  he  stood  alone  and  firmly  whilst  his  arms 
were  tied  behind  him  and  his  feet  were  bound  to- 
gether. 

The  black  cap  was  placed  over  his  head,  and  then 
followed  a  moment  of  solemn  stillness.  The  entire 
assembly  seemingly  ceased  to  breathe.  The  signal 
was  given,  the  trap  was  sprung,  and,  with  a  dreadful, 
sickening  thud,  Webster  fell  from  the  gibbet  to  the 
ground  beneath.  The  hang-man's  knot  had  slipped, 
and  the  man,  bound  hand  and  foot,  lay  in  a  confused 
heap,  limp  and  motionless,  before  the  gathered  throng. 
He  was  lifted  up  and  carried  to  the  scaffold. 

4<  I  suffer  a  double  death,"  came  from  the  lips  of 
the  dying  man  as  he  was  again  placed  upon  the  read- 
justed trap.  The  rope  was  again  placed  around  his 
neck,  this  time  so  tight  as  to  be  excruciatingly  painful. 


553  A      WOMAN'S    DEVOTION 

"  You  will  choke  me  to  death  this  time,"  came  in 
gurgling  tones  from  within  the  enveloping  hood. 

In  a  second  the  trap  was  again  sprung,  and  the 
brave  patriot  was  swinging  in  the  air,  between  heaven 
and  earth. 

Rebel  vengeance  was  at  last  satisfied,  the  appteite 
for  human  blood  was  sated. 

Treason  had  done  its  worst,  and  the  loyal  spy  was 
dead. 

Early  in  the  afternoon,  Captain  Alexander  re- 
turned to  the  prison,  and  informed  Mrs.  Lawton  that 
all  was  over.  He  found  her  deathly  pale,  but  now 
firm,  and  giving  no  other  outward  sign  of  the  agony 
of  the  past  few  hours. 

"  May  I  see  him  before  he  is  taken  away  ?"  she 
asked. 

"  There  is  no  objection  to  that." 

Accompanying  the  officer,  she  went  to  the  room 
in  which  the  body  lay,  incased  in  a  metallic  coffin 
which  Mrs.  Lawton  had  procured.  His  face  was  not 
discolored  in  the  least,  and  the  features  indicated  the 
same  Roman  firmness  which  he  exhibited  when  he 
left  the  prison.  He  died  as  he  had  lived — a  brave 
man. 

Several  rebel  officers  stood  around  the  coffin. 
Turning  suddenly  upon  them,  and  facing  Captain 
Alexander,  Mrs.  Lawton,  in  a  burst  of  passion,  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Murderers  !  this  is  your  work.     If  there  is  ven- 


AND    A     PATRIOT'S    HEROISM.  559 

geance  or  retribution  in  this  world,  you  will  feel  it 
before  you  die !" 

As  if  stung  to  the  quick  by  this  accusation,  Cap- 
tain Alexander  stepped  up  to  the  coffin,  and  laying 
his  hand  upon  Webster's  cold,  white  forehead,  said  : 

"  As  sure  as  there  is  a  God  in  Heaven,  I  am 
innocent  of  this  deed.  I  did  nothing  to  bring  this 
about,  and  simply  obeyed  my  orders  in  removing  him 
from  the  prison  to  the  place  of  execution." 

Application  was  made  to  General  Winder  for  the 
privilege  of  sending  Webster's  body  to  the  North, 
where  it  might  be  buried  by  his  friends  ;  but  this  the 
rebel  officer  peremptorily  refused.  A  petition  was 
then  made  that  it  be  allowed  to  be  placed  in  the  vault 
in  Richmond,  with  no  better  success.  Not  content 
with  heaping  ignominy  upon  him  while  living,  the 
fiend  was  determined  that  even  in  death  the  patriot 
should  be  the  subject  of  odium  and  contempt. 

In  the  dead  hour  of  the  night,  he  ordered  the 
remains  to  be  carried  away,  and  buried  in  an  obscure 
corner  of  the  pauper's  burying-ground. 

Farewell,  brave  spirit !  I  knew  thee  well.  Brave, 
tender  and  true ;  thou  hast  suffered  in  a  glorious 
cause,  and  died  a  martyr's  death.  Thy  memory  will 
long  be  green  in  the  hearts  of  thy  friends.  When 
treason  is  execrated,  and  rebellion  is  scorned  and 
despised,  the  tears  of  weeping  friends  will  bedew  the 
sod  which  rests  above  the  martyred  spy  of  the  Rebel- 
lion— Timothy  Webster. 


560  A     WOMAN'S    DEVOTION. 

After  the  war  was  over,  and  peace  once  more 
reigned  throughout  the  land,  I  procured  his  body, 
and  it  now  lies  in  the  soil  of  a  loyal  state — the  shrine 
of  the  patriot — the  resting-place  of  a  hero. 

But  little  more  remains  to  be  told.  After  weary 
months  of  captivity,  Mrs.  Lawton,  Price  Lewis  and 
John  Scully,  were  sent  to  the  North,  where  their 
stories  were  told,  and  from  whose  lips  I  learned  the 
particulars  I  have  narrated. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

The  Defeat  of  General  Pope  at  the  second  Battle  of  Manassas. 
— McClellan  Again  Called  to  the  Command. —  The  Battle 
of  Antietam. — A  Union  Victory. — A  Few  Thoughts  about 
the  Union  Commander. — McClellans  Removal  from 
Command  and  his  Farewell  Address. 


O 


N    the    second    day    of    September,    1862,   the 
following  order  was  issued : 


"  War  Department,  Adj't-Gen.'s  Office, 

"Washington,  Sept.  2,  1862. 

"  Major-General  McClellan  will  have  command  of 
the  fortifications  of  Washington,  and  of  all  the  troops 
for  the  defense  of  the  Capital. 

"  By  order  of 

"  E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  "  Maj.-Gen.  HALLECK. 

Ass't.  Adj't.-Gen." 

At  this  time  the  Federal  troops,  under  General 
Pope,  were  retreating  in  great  disorder  from  the  disas- 
trous defeat  in  the  Virginia  campaign,  and  the  roads 
leading  to  Washington  were,  for  the  second  time  during 
the  war,  filled  with  stragglers  from  the  ranks,  making 
their  way  to  the  capital.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
while  McClellan  and  the  main  Eastern  army  were  in 
the  Peninsula,  the  divisions  of  McDowell,  Fremont 

36  [56iJ 


562  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

and  Banks  were,  by  orders  of  the  government,  held 
near  Washington,  for  the  protection  of  the  national 
capital.  On  the  26th  day  of  July,  these  forces  were 
consolidated  as  the  Army  of  Virginia,  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  General  Pope.  This  army 
was  guarding  the  line  of  the  Rapidan. 

Soon  after  the  retreat  of  the  Union  army  under 
General  McClellan,  the  Confederates,  in  August, 
1862,  began  to  move  towards  Washington.  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  leading  the  advance  of  the  Southern 
army,  attacked  Banks'  force  at  Cedar  Mountain,  on 
the  6th  day  of  August.  Banks,  however,  was  able  to 
hold  Jackson  in  check  for  some  time;  but  the  main 
body  of  the  rebels  arriving,  Banks  was  compelled  to 
retreat.  Lee  now  pressed  heavily  upon  Pope,  who 
retreated  northward  from  every  position  then  held  by 
him. 

When  this  movement  became  known  to  the 
authorities,  General  McClellan  was  ordered  to  hastily 
ship  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  back  to  Washington, 
and  so  persistent  was  General  Halleck  in  his  orders 
to  that  effect,  that  at  the  second  battle  of  Manassas 
McClellan  found  himself  completely  stripped  of  his 
army — literally  without  a  command — and  compelled 
to  submit  to  the  mortification  of  listening  to  the  roar 
of  the  battle  from  afar,  and  without  being  allowed  to 
participate  in  its  conflicts.  Some  idea  of  his  feelings 
may  be  learned  from  a  dispatch  sent  by  him  to  Gen- 
eral Halleck  at  this  time: 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  563 

"  I  cannot  express  to  you  the  pain  and  mortification 
I  have  experienced  to-day,  in  listening  to  the  distant 
sound  of  the  fighting  of  my  men.  As  I  can  be  of  no 
further  use  here,  I  respectfully  ask  that  if  there  is  a 
probability  of  the  conflict  being  renewed  to-morrow, 
I  may  be  permitted  to  go  to  the  scene  of  battle  with 
my  staff,  merely  to  be  with  my  own  men,  if  nothing 
more  ;  they  will  fight  none  the  worse  for  my  being 
with  them.  If  it  is  not  deemed  best  to  intrust  me 
with  the  command  even  of  my  own  army,  I  simply 
ask  to  be  permitted  to  share  their  fate  upon  the  field 
of  battle." 

These  appeals,  however,  were  utterly  disregarded. 
Gen.  Pope  was  to  command  the  army,  and  to  do  the 
fighting,  and  in  the  end  the  contemptuous  superiors 
of  the  heroic  commander  suffered  a  crushing  defeat 
in  the  bloodiest  battle  of  this  campaign.  The  second 
battle  of  Manassas  was  a  most  disastrous  one,  and  on 
August  29-30  Pope's  army  was  utterly  defeated. 

Lee  was  now  pressing  forward,  flushed  with 
victory,  and  threatening  Washington.  On  the  ist 
of  September  the  battle  of  Chantilly  was  fought,  and 
in  which  those  brave  Generals,  Kearney  and  Stevens, 
lost  their  lives. 

Learning  by  bitter  experience  the  culpable  folly 
of  ignoring  the  genius  and  bravery  of  Mc- 
Clellan,  and  with  the  rebel  army  besieging  the 
capital,  General  Halleck,  in  the  excess  of  fear,  was 
forced  to  again  call  for  the  services  of  the  gallant 
commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  General 


564  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

McClellan  was  once  more  placed  in  command  of  an 
army  defeated  and  demoralized  by  the  incompetency 
of  its  generals. 

The  broken  army  of  Pope  was  now  united  with 
that  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  army  of 
Virginia  ceased  to  exist  as  a  separate  organization. 
With  the  intense  enthusiasm  of  the  soldiers  for  Mc- 
Clellan, he  soon  brought  order  out  of  chaos,  and  in  an 
incredibly  short  space  of  time  he  faced  them  about, 
in  orderly  columns,  and  started  to  repel  the  invading 
army  of  Lee,  who  was  now  crossing  the  Potomac. 

From  reports  made  by  my  operatives  at  this  time, 
it  was  ascertained  that  Lee  had  abandoned,  if,  indeed, 
he  ever  seriously  entertained  the  idea  of  advancing 
directly  upon  the  capital,  and  was  now  contemplating 
carrying  the  campaign  into  Maryland.  Longstreet's 
division  had  left  Richmond  about  the  5th  day  of 
August  for  Gordonsville,  marching  to  Orange  Court- 
house, he  fell  back  to  Gordonsville.  Jackson  fell 
back  at  the  same  time,  and  they  both  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Manassas,  and  in  the  fighting  that  fol- 
lowed. Jackson  then  crossed  the  river  into  Mary- 
land, before  Longstreet,  who  crossed  a  few  days  later, 
at  or  near  Edwards'  Ferry. 

On  the  4th  day  of  September,  my  operatives,  who 
were  watching  the  movement  of  the  rebel  army,  re- 
ported that  Lee  had  his  headquarters  on  the  Aldie 
turnpike,  near  Dranesville  ;  while  Jackson  was  near 
Fairfax  Court-house.  On  the  9th,  it  was  under- 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  565 

stood  that  the  rebels  had  moved  their  entire  army  in- 
to Virginia,  and  it  was  presumed  that  his  objective 
point  was  Baltimore. 

General  McClellan  left  Washington  on  the  7th 
day  of  September,  and  established  his  headquarters 
at  Rockville,  having  first  made  all  arrangements  for 
the  defense  of  Washington,  .  and  placing  General 
Banks  in  command  of  the  troops  at  that  place.  By 
this  time  it  was  known  that  the  mass  of  the  rebel 
army  had  passed  up  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac 
river,  in  the  direction  of  Leesburg,  and  that  a  part  of 
the  army  had  crossed  the  river  into  Maryland. 

The  uncertainty  of  Lee's  intentions  greatly  dis- 
tracted the  authorities  at  Washington  for  the  safety 

• 

of  that  city,  and  they  were  fearful  that  he  would  make 
a  feint  towards  Pennsylvania,  and  then  suddenly  seize 
the  opportunity  to  attack  the  capital. 

Some  writers  have  animadverted  freely  upon  the 
alleged  "  slowness  "  of  McClellan's  movements  up  the 
Potomac,  and  his  "delay"  in  offering  battle  to  Lee 
before  the  latter  had  time  to  unite  his  army  and 
occupy  the  strong  position  he  held  at  Antietam  ;  but 
they  persistently  ignore  the  fact  that  the  dispatches 
from  the  commander-in-chief  at  Washington,  to 
McClellan  in  the,  field,  from  the  7th  to  the  i6th  of 
September,  were  filled  with  cautions  against  a  too 
hasty  advance,  and  the  consequent  impropriety  of 
exposing  Washington  to  an  attack.  Indeed,  it  seems 
evident  to  me,  when  I  regard  the  career  of  the  Army 


566  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

of  the  Potomac,  that  had  those  in  power  in  Washing- 
ton been  less  concerned  for  their  own  safety,  and 
trusted  more  to  the  skill  and  sagacity  of  the  general 
in  the  field  to  direct  its  movements,  the  history  of 
that  army  would  have  been  widely  different  from 
what  it  is.  The  campaign  of  the  Peninsula  termi- 
nated disastrously  to  .the  Union  arms,  and  it  was 
mainly  due  to  this  real  or  assumed  fear  of  the  author- 
ities for  the  safety  of  Washington. 

It  is  not  presuming  too  much  to  say,  that  McClel- 
lan  knew  far  better  than  those  at  Washington  the 
movements  and  intentions  of  the  enemy,  and  that  he 
was  apprised  of  them  sooner  ;  but  it  is  equally  true 
that  a  certain  element  in  the  Cabinet  was  unfriendly 
to  the  secret  service  branch  of  the  army,  and,  with 
characteristic  stubbornness,  placed  but  little  reliance 
upon  the  information  obtained  from  this  source. 

For  instance,  General  Halleck  was  of  the  opinion, 
on  the  evening  of  the  day  before  Antietam,  that 
Lee's  whole  force  had  crossed  the  river,  and  so  tele- 
graphed McClellan,  when  the  fact  was  that  the  rebel 
army  was  actually  in  our  front,  and  ready  for  the  bat- 
tle that  so  speedily  followed. 

Still,  the  importance  of  moving  with  extreme 
caution  was  kept  constantly  in  view,  and  the  army 
was  moved  so  that  it  extended  from  the  railroad  to 
the  Potomac  River,  the  extreme  left  flank  resting  on 
that  stream. 

On  the  twelfth  of  September,   a  portion   of  the 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  567 

right  wing  of  the  army  entered  Frederick,  Md.,  and 
on  the  following  day  the  main  body  of  the  right  and 
the  center  wings  arrived,  only  to  find  that  the  enemy 
had  marched  out  of  the  place  two  days  before,  taking 
the  roads  to  Boonesboro'  and  Harper's  Ferry. 

Lee  had  left  a  force  to  dispute  the  posse3sion  of 
the  passes,  through  which  the  roads  across  South 
Mountain  ran,  while  he  had  dispatched  Jackson  to 
effect  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry.  In  these  plans 
he  was  partially  frustrated,  for,  while  Jackson  suc- 
ceeded in  capturing  Harper's  Ferry,  McClellan  drove 
the  rebel  troops  from  the  passes,  after  short  but 
vigorous  engagements  at  South  Mountain,  on  Sep- 
tember 1 4th,  but  failed  in  his  efforts  to  relieve 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  that  place  was  surrendered  on 
the  following  day. 

Immediately  following  the  actions  at  South 
Mountain,  Lee,  being  closely  pressed  by  McClellan, 
turned  at  bay  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Antietam. 
Here  he  resolved  to  endeavor  to  hold  his  position 
until  he  could  concentrate  his  army.  His  forces,  at 
this  time  numbered  about  forty  thousand  men. 

On  the  sixteenth,  he  was  reinforced  by  Jackson's 
gallant  corps,  numbering  about  five  thousand  men, 
which,  together  with  other  reinforcements,  received 
during  the  day,  swelled  his  numbers  to  fifty  thousand 
men,  which,  in  the  language  of  one  of  their  own, 
writers,  constituted  "  the  very  flower  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia." 


568  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

Our  own  forces  did  not  exceed  eighty-five  thou- 
sand men,  and  it  is  but  correct  to  say  that  not  seventy 
thousand  were  actually  engaged  on  the  day  of  the 
great  battle.  My  own  judgment  is,  that  at  no  time 
during  the  fight  was  the  Confederate  army  ever  con- 
fronted by  a  force  outnumbering  their  own. 

Confederate  writers  have  sought  to  make  it  ap- 
pear that  Lee,  at  Antietam,  fought  and  practically  de- 
feated a  force  in  excess  of  his  own  in  the  ratio  of 
three  to  one.  This  assertion  is  proven  to  be  a 
glaring  error,  for  the  facts  are  that  the  odds  were  less 
than  three  to  two,  even  in  point  of  actual  numerical 
strength  present,  while,  all  things,  considered,  these 
were  reduced  until  the  two  armies  faced  each  other 
on  the  morning  of  Antietam  pretty  evenly  opposed, 
and  with  no  decided  advantage  in  favor  of  either 
contestant. 

To  explain  :  taking  it  for  granted  that  McClellan 
had  eighty-seven  thousand  men  at  roll-call  on  the 
morning  of  the  seventeenth,  it  is  now  known  that  the 
battle  was  mainly  fought  by  the  First,  Second,  Ninth 
and  Twelfth  Corps,  while  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps 
and  the  Cavalry  Division  were  scarcely  used  at  all. 
In  addition  to  this,  it  should  be  remembered  that 
ours  was  the  attacking  force ;  that  the  enemy  oc- 
cupied a  chosen  position,  and  therefore,  in  this  view 
of  the  situation,  the  odds  were  by  no  means  great  in 
favor  of  the  Federal  troops. 

On  the  morning  of  the  sixteenth,  being  then  at 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  569 

headquarters,  and  desiring  to  learn  from  personal  ob- 
servation something  of  the  position  of  the  enemy,  I 
accompanied  a  party  of  cavalry  sent  out  to  recon- 
noitre across  the  Antietam.  Here  it  was  discovered 
that  the  enemy  had  changed  the  position  of  some  of 
their  batteries,  while  their  left  and  center  were  upon 
and  in  front  of  the  Sharpsburg  and  Hagerstown  turn- 
pike, and  their  extreme  left  rested  upon  the  wooded 
heights  near  the  cross-roads  to  the  north. 

While  returning  from  this  reconnoitering  expedi- 
tion, fire  was  opened  upon  us  from  a  masked  battery 
upon  the  hill,  and  my  horse,  a  beautiful  sorrel,  that 
had  carried  me  for  months,  and  to  which  I  was  much 
attached,  was  shot  from  under  me  while  I  was  cross- 
ing the  stream.  Several  of  the  men  who  accom- 
panied me  were  seriously  wounded,  and  I  narrowly 
escaped  with  my  life. 

The  next  morning,  at  early  dawn,  the  battle  com- 
menced, and  raged  with  unabated  fury  until  nightfall, 
when  the  rebels  withdrew,  and  our  soldiers  slept  that 
night  upon  a  dearly  won,  yet  decisively  victorious 
field.  McClellan  determined  not  to  renew  the  attack 
upon  the  following  day,  for  which  his  critics  have  cen- 
sured him  severely ;  yet,  I  am  satisfied,  that  not  a 
few  writers,  who  have  fought,  on  paper,  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  just  as  it  should  have  been  fought  in  their 
own  estimation,  have  not,  in  a  single  instance,  given 
the  subject  more  painful  and  anxious  thought  than 
did  the  General  himself,  during  all  that  night,  while 


570  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

his  weary  troops  lay  resting  on  their  arms,  on  a  field 
covered  with  their  own  and  their  enemy's  dead. 

No  better  reasons  can  be  assigned,  and,  indeed, 
none  better  need  be  given  for  the  course  he  pursued, 
than  he,  himself,  has  stated  in  his  own  report  of  that 
battle.  He  says :  "  I  am  aware  of  the  fact,  that, 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  a  General  is  expected  to 
risk  a  battle  if  he  has  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success ; 
but  at  this  critical  juncture,  I  should  have  had  a  nar- 
row view  of  the  condition  of  the  country,  had  I  been 
willing  to  hazard  another  battle  with  less  than  an 
absolute  assurance  of  success.  At  that  moment,  Vir- 
ginia lost,  Washington  menaced,  Maryland  invaded, 
the  National  cause  could  afford  no  risks  of  defeat. 
One  battle  lost,  and  almost  all  would  have  been  lost. 
Lee's  army  might  then  have  marched  as  it  pleased  on 
Baltimore,  Washington,  Philadelphia  or  New  York, 
It  could  have  levied  its  supplies  from  a  fertile  and 
undevastated  country,  extorted  tribute  from  wealthy 
and  populous  cities,  and  nowhere  east  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies  was  there  another  organized  force  able  to 
arrest  its  march." 

The  day  after  the  battle,  however,  General 
McClellan  gave  orders  for  a  renewal  of  the  attack  on  the 
morning  of  the  nineteenth ;  but  when  morning  dawned, 
it  was  discovered  that  the  rebels  had  suddenly  aban- 
doned their  position  and  retreated  across  the  river, 
leaving  nearly  three  thousand  of  their  unburied  dead 
on  the  late  field  of  battle.  Thirteen  guns,  thirty-nine 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  571 

colors,  upwards  of  fifteen  thousand  stand  of  small 
arms,  and  more  than  six  thousand  prisoners,  were 
taken  in  the  battles  of  South  Mountain,  Crampton's 
Gap  and  Antietam,  while  not  a  single  gun  or  color 
was  lost  by  our  troops  in  any  of  these  encounters. 

The  Battle  of  Antietam,  in  its  effects,  was  a  bril- 
liant and  decisive  victory  for  the  Union  arms,  as  it 
was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  South,  who  had  expected 
much  from  Lee's  sudden  and  daring  invasion  of  a 
loyal  state ;  and  their  losses,  from  the  time  they  first 
invaded  Maryland  until  the  end  of  the  Battle  of  An- 
tietam, were  in  the  neighborhood  of  thirty  thousand 
men. 

Whatever,  therefore,  has  been  said  by  unfriendly 
critics,  concerning  General  McClellan's  achievements, 
they  must  be  regarded  by  the  intelligent  and  fair- 
minded  student  of  history,  as  far  from  being  failures. 
Nor  were  they  merely  the  achievements  of  an  ordinary 
man.  It  is  an  easy,  and  no  doubt  a  tempting  task, 
nearly  twenty  years  after  a  battle  has  occurred,  and 
with  the  knowledge  and  materials  now  at  hand,  for 
writers  to  fight  this  battle  over  again,  and  point  out 
alleged  blunders  here  and  there,  and  in  their  vivid, 
and  not  always  truthful,  imaginations  conduct  affairs 
as  they  should  have  been  conducted. 

It  may  be  safely  asserted,  that  no  General  in  the 
history  of  the  Nation  was  ever  so  shamefully  treated 
by  his  government,  as  was  General  McClellan.  With 
a  brave  and  noble  devotion,  and  with  a  self-sacrificing 


572  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

love  for  his  country  and  her  flag,  he  fearlessly  offered 
his  life  and  his  services  in  sustaining  the  honor  of  the 
one,  and  the  perpetuity  of  the  other. 

Reviewing  his  career  from  the  date  of  his  taking 
command  of  all  the  armies,  down  to  the  close  of  the 
battle  of  Antietam,  he  received  the  bitter  opposition 
of  the  Cabinet,  and  the  ill-concealed  enmity  of  the 
politicians  ;  and  scarcely  had  he  been  'called  to  this 
important  position,  than  his  enemies  began  working 
to  effect  his  downfall.  With  such  persistence  and 
success  did  they  devote  themselves  to  their  tcsk,  that 
by  the  time  he  had  his  Army  of  the  Potomac  ready 
for  the  field,  they  had  practically  deposed  him  as  the 
Commander-in-Chief. 

His  plans  of  the  campaign  were  required  to  be 
submitted  to  a  body  of  twelve  of  his  subordinates  for 
approval,  and  this  ridiculous  proceeding  ended  in 
their  adoption  by  a  vote  of  eight  to  four.  The  next 
day  the  enemy  abandoned  Manassas,  a  move  which 
was  the  result  of  direct  treason,  or,  at  least,  criminal  in- 
discretion on  the  part  of  some  member  of  that  com- 
mission, either  directly  or  indirectly.  After  his  plans 
were  adopted,  and  their  execution  commenced,  he 
was  hampered  and  distressed  by  orders  from  his  su- 
periors at  Washington,  conflicting  with  his  own  well 
formed  ideas  and  deranging  his  carefully  prepared 
plans  in  the  field. 

He,  however,  bore  all  these  things  patiently,  and 
at  all  times  faithfully  endeavored  to  do  the  very  best, 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  573 

under  the  adverse  circumstances  which  surrounded 
him.  He,  however,  at  all  times,  had  the  courage  to 
speak  his  convictions,  knowing  the  purity  of  his  own 
actions,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was  fre- 
quently called  upon  to  execute  orders  that  his  own 
better  judgment  convinced  him  were  conceived  in 
ignorance  or  malice,  and  which  could  but  do  harm  to 
him  and  to  the  cause  he  loved. 

On  July  7,  1862,  we  find  him  writing  to  the  Presi- 
dent his  views  on  the  conduct  of  the  war.  He  said  : 

"In  carrying  out  any  system  of  policy  which  you 
may  form,  you  will  require  a  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  army,  one  who  possesses  your  confidence,  under- 
stands your  views,  and  who  is  competent  to  execute 
your  orders  by  directing  the  military  forces  of  the 
nation  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  objects  by  you 
proposed.  I  do  not  ask  that  place  for  myself,  I  am 
willing  to  serve  you  in  such  position  as  you  may  as- 
sign me,  and  I  will  do  so  as  faithfully  as  ever  subor- 
dinate served  superior.  I  may  be  on  the  brink  of 
eternity,  and  as  I  hope  for  forgiveness  from  my 
Maker,  I  have  written  this  letter  from  sincerity  to- 
wards you,  and  from  love  for  my  country." 

Through  all  his  correspondence,  while  in  the  field, 
with  his  superiors,  there  breathed  a  spirit  of  earnest 
and  sincere  devotion  to  country ;  and  rarely  was  he 
tempted  to  utter  words  which  proved  how  sorely  he 
was  tried  and  how  much  he  resented  the  interference 
of  incompetent  authority.  When  pushed  beyond  all 


574  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

control  by  the  foolish,  unfriendly  and  unjust  course 
of  those  at  Washington,  and  when  their  interference 
had  caused  the  failure  of  his  plans,  he  wrote  to  Secre- 
tary of  War  Stanton,  "  You  have  done  your  best 
to  sacrifice  this  army,"  and  even  then  the  words  were 
written  more  in  a  tone  of  regret  than  of  anger. 

Nearly  a  month  later,  when  the  order  was  issued 
for  the  withdrawal  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  before 
Richmond,  under  the  full  force  of  his  convictions,  he 
uttered  a  manly  protest  against  such  action,  and  en- 
treated that  the  order  might  be  rescinded.  "  All 
points,"  said  he,  "  of  secondary  importance  elsewhere 
should  be  abandoned,  and  every  available  man 
brought  here.  A  decided  victory  here  and  the 
strength  of  the  rebellion  is  crushed,  it  matters  not 
what  partial  reverses  we  may  meet  with  elsewhere. 
Here  is  the  true  defense  of  Washington  ;  it  is  here,  on 
the  banks  of  the  James,  that  the  fate  of  the  Union 
should  be  decided.  Clear  in  my  convictions  of  right, 
strong  in  the  consciousness  that  I  have  ever  been 
and  still  am  actuated  by  love  of  my  country,  .... 
I  do  now,  what  I  never  did  in  my  life  before,  I 
entreat  that  this  order  may  be  rescinded." 

How  true  these  words  were,  and  how  prophetic 
their  scope,  may  be  proven  by  the  words  of  General 
Sheridan  several  years  later.  When  Grant  was 
compelled  at  last  to  adopt  the  very  plans  of  Mc- 
Clellan,  thus  giving  as  practical  a  vindication  of  that 
general  as  could  be  desired,  Sheridan  sent  a  mes- 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  575 

sage  to  Grant,  but  a  little  while  before  the  surrender, 
urging  him  to  come  with  all  the  force  he  could  com- 
mand in  pursuit  of  Lee,  saying,  "Here  is  the  end 
of  the  rebellion"  A  fit  corollary  to  McClellan's 
dispatch  from  James  River  to  Halleck  :  "  Here,  di- 
rectly in  front  of  this  army,  is  the  heart  of  the  rebel- 
lion" 

No  general  in  this  country,  or  in  any  other,  was 
more  universally  beloved  and  admired  by  his  troops, 
and  no  commander  ever  returned  that  affection  with 
more  warmth  than  did  McClellan.  Troops  that 
under  other  commanders  suffered  defeat  after  defeat, 
until  dismayed  and  discouraged  they  fled  to  Wash- 
ington, followed  by  a  pursuing  and  exultant  enemy, 
were  in  a  few  days,  by  his  magical  influence  over 
them,  again  transformed  into  brave  and  hopeful 
soldiers,  ready  to  follow  anywhere  their  trusted  com- 
mander might  lead. 

It  is  a  strange  fact,  but  a  fact,  nevertheless,  that 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  received  all  its  good  words, 
words  of  cheer  and  encouragement,  from  McClellan 
alone.  Those  in  power  at  the  capital  were  painfully 
blind  to  its  sufferings  on  the  toilsome  march,  or  its 
deeds  of  valor  on  the  bloody  field.  After  the  battle 
of  Antietam,  and  after  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had 
driven  Lee  from  Maryland,  General  McClellan  tele- 
graphed his  chief  as  follows  :  "  I  have  the  honor  to 
report  that  Maryland  is  entirely  freed  from  the 
presence  of  the  enemy,  who  has  been  driven  across 


576  M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    CALLED 

the  Potomac.  No  fears  need  now  be  entertained  for 
the  safety  of  Pennsylvania  ;  I  shall  at  once  occupy 
Harper's  Ferry." 

Two  days  later,  receiving  no  word  of  acknowl- 
edgement for  his  troops,  whom  he  felt  had  earned 
them  from  the  Commander-in-Chief,  he,  in  a  tele- 
gram of  September  2Oth,  said  :  "  I  regret  that  you 
have  not  yet  found  leisure  to  say  one  word  in  com- 
mendation of  the  recent  achievements  of  this  army 
or  even  to  allude  to  them." 

Before  this,  he  had  taken  occasion  to  remind 
General  Halleck  of  the  fact  that  the  army  deserved 
some  credit  for  its  labors,  and  appreciated  any 
acknowledgment  of  the  same  which  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  might  make. 

On  August  1 8th,  1862,  and  after  the  fighting 
before  Richmond,  he  wrote  to  General  Halleck  as 
follows : 

"  Please  say  a  kind  word  to  my  army,  that  I  can 
repeat  to  them  in  general  orders,  in  regard  to  their 
conduct  at  Yorktown,  Williamsburg,  West  Point, 
Hanover  Court-house,  and  on  the  Chickahominy,  as 
well  as  in  regard  to  the  seven  days,  and  the  recent 
retreat.  No  one  has  ever  said  anything  to  cheer  them 
but  myself.  Say  nothing  about  me  ;  merely  give  my 
men  and  officers  credit  for  what  they  have  done.  It 
will  do  you  much  good,  and  strengthen  you  much  with 
them,  if  you  issue  a  handsome  order  to  them  in 
regard  to  what  they  have  accomplished.  They 
deserve  it." 


TO     THE    COMMAND.  577 

Is  it  any  wonder,  then,  that  the  army  exhibited 
such  splendid  enthusiasm  for  their  leader,  when  they, 
above  all  others,  were  fully  acquainted  with  his  char- 
acter as  a  man  and  a  general  ? 

Self  was  his  last  and  least  consideration.  Always 
mindful  of  the  comfort  of  his  men,  yet  inculcating, 
by  his  splendid  discipline,  the  essential  requisites  of 
the  true  soldier,  he  led  his  troops  through  the  cam- 
paigns of  the  Peninsula  and  of  Maryland,  achieving  a 
record  that  was  a  credit  to  him,  his  army,  and  the 
nation,  and  is  an  enduring  monument  to  the  faithful 
devotion  and  the  gallant  services  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  I  cannot  close  this  chapter  in  more  fitting 
words  than  those  used  by  General  McClellan,  in  his 
brief  and  affectionate  farewell  to  his  officers  and  men, 
after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  when,  having  won  a  vic- 
tory at  a  critical  period,  he  was,  as  a  reward,  relieved 
from  his  command. 

"November  ;th,  1862. 

"  Officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  : 
"  An  order  of  the  President  devolves  upon  Major- 
General  Burnside  the  command  of  this  army.  In 
parting  from  you  I  cannot  express  the  love  and  grati- 
tude I  bear  you.  As  an  army,  you  have  grown  up 
under  my  care.  In  you  I  have  never  found  doubt  or 
coldness.  The  battles  you  have  fought  under  my 
command  will  proudly  live  in  our  nation's  history. 
The  glory  you  have  achieved,  our  mutual  perils  and 
fatigues,  the  graves  of  our  comrades  fallen  in  battle 
and  by  disease,  the  broken  forms  of  those  whom' 

37 


578        M'CLELLAN    AGAIN    IN    COMMAND. 

wounds  and  sickness  have  disabled — the  strongest 
associations  which  can  exist  among  men — unite  us 
still  by  an  indissoluble  tie.  We  shall  ever  be  com- 
rades in  supporting  the  constitution  of  our  country 
and  the  nationality  of  its  people." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

General  Burnside  in  Command. — My  Connection  with  the 
Secret  Service  Severed.  —  Reflections  upon  Important 
Events. — Conclusion. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  seventh  of  November,  fol- 
lowing the  battle  of  Antietam,  General  Mc- 
Clellan  was  removed  from  the  command  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  After  having  spent  weeks  in  the 
laborious  effort  of  reorganizing  his  forces,  which  had 
been  severely  shattered  and  weakened  by  the  hard 
marching  and  the  still  harder  fighting  in  the  recent 
battles  with  Lee,  the  brave  commander,  upon  the  eve 
of  an  important  forward  movement  was  deprived  of 
his  noble  army.  General  Burnside  was  named  as  his 
successor.  Again  had  the  political  cabal  at  Washing- 
ton succeeded  in  their  opposition  to  the  noble  com- 
mander of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  this  time 
effectually. 

McClellan's  tardiness  was  the  alleged  cause  of  his 
removal.  No  one  in  authority  seemed  to  consider 
for  a  moment  the  necessity,  which  was  apparent  to 
their  immediate  commander,  of  affording  the  Federal 

[579] 


580  CONCLUSION. 

troops  an  opportunity  to  recuperate  from  their  ex- 
hausted condition.  The  serious  losses  sustained  at 
South  Mountain,  Crampton's  Gap,  and  Antietam  had 
left  the  army  badly  disorganized,  and  the  privations 
and  hardships  to  which  they  had  been  subjected,  ren- 
dered a  delay,  for  the  purpose  of  allowing  the  worn 
and  weary  soldiers  time  to  rest  and  recuperate,  an  ab- 
solute necessity.  In  the  language  of  McClellan, 
"  The  Army  had  need  of  rest."  After  the  terrible  ex- 
periences of  battles  and  marches,  with  scarcely  an  in- 
terval of  repose,  which  they  had  gorte  through  from 
the  time  of  leaving  the  Peninsula ;  the  return  to 
Washington  ;  the  defeat  in  Virginia ;  the  victory  at 
South  Mountain,  and  again  at  Antietam,  it  was  not 
surprising  that  they  were,  in  a  large  degree,  desti- 
tute of  the  absolute  necessities  for  effective  duty. 
Shoes  were  worn  out ;  blankets  were  lost ;  clothing 
was  in  rags  ;  the  army  was  unfit  for  duty,  and  time 
for  rest  and  equipment  was  absolutely  necessary. 

McClellan  at  once  notified  the  authorities  of  the 
condition  of  his  troops,  and  made  the  necessary  requi- 
sitions on  the  proper  departments  for  the  needed 
supplies.  For  some  unaccountable  reason — unac- 
countable to  this  day — the  supplies  ordered  were 
so  slow  in  reaching  the  men,  that  when,  on  the 
seventh  of  October,  the  command  came  for  him  to 
cross  the  river  into  Virginia,  and  give  battle  to  the 
enemy,  a  compliance  with  the  order  was  practically 
impossible. 


CONCLUSION.  581 

Then,  too,  reenforcements  were  needed.  In  or- 
dering the  advance,  the  President,  through  the  Gen- 
eral-in-Chief, had  submitted  two  plans,  of  which 
McClellan  could  take  his  choice.  One  was  to  ad- 
vance up  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah  with  re- 
enforcements  of  fifteen  thousand  troops,  the  other 
was  to  cross  the  river  between  the  enemy  and  Wash- 
ington, in  which  case  he  was  be  reenforced  with 
thirty  thousand  men.  McClellan's  first  inclination 
was  to  adopt  the  movement  up  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, believing,  that,  if  he  crossed  the  river  into  Vir- 
ginia, Lee  would  be  enabled  to  promptly  prevent  suc- 
cess in  that  direction  by  at  once  throwing  his  army 
into  Maryland.  Owing,  however,  to  the  delay  of 
the  supplies  in  reaching  the  army,  it  was  nearly  the 
end  of  October  before  the  troops  were  ready  to 
move.  About  the  twenty-sixth,  the  army  commenced 
to  cross  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  by  the  sixth  of  Novem- 
ber the  advance  upon  the  enemy  was  begun.  On  the 
night  of  the  seventh,  therefore,  when  the  order  came 
relieving  him  from  the  command,  McClellan's  advance 
guard  was  actually  engaged  with  the  enemy. 

I  had  already  learned  that  Longstreet  was  im- 
mediately in  our  front,  near  Culpepper,  while  Jack- 
son and  Hill's  forces  were  near  Chester's  and  Thorn- 
ton's Gap,  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  McClellan  had 
formed  the  plan  of  attempting  to  divide  the  enemy, 
with  the  hope  of  forcing  him  to  battle,  when  it  was 
believed,  an  easy  victory  would  be  achieved. 


5  82  CONCLUSION. 

At  this  junctnre,  however,  and  when  the  army 
was  in  an  exellent  condition  to  fight  a  great  battle, 
when  officers  and  men  were  enthusiastic  in  their 
hopes  of  being  able  soon  to  strike  an  effective  blow, 
McClellan  was  removed,  and  Stanton  had,  at  last,  ac- 
complished his  revenge,  Not  only  this,  but  he  had 
also  secured  the  failure  of,  what  was  undoubtedly 
destined  to  be,  a  great  and  decisively  victorious 
campaign. 

McClellan's  plan  on  discovering  the  position  of 
the  enemy's  forces,  was  to  strike  in  between  Culpep- 
per  Court  House  and  Little  Washington,  hoping  by 
this  means  to  separate  the  rebel  army,  or  at  least  to 
force  their  retreat  to  Gordonsville,  and  then  advance 
upon  Richmond,  either  by  way  of  Fredericksburg  or 
the  Peninsula. 

Burnside,  on  assuming  the  command,  submitted  a 
plan  of  his  own,  which  was  to  make  a  feint  of  doing, 
what  McClellan  really  intended  to  do,  before  adopt- 
ing the  move  upon  Fredericksburg  or  the  Peninsula, 
and  then  to  advance  from  Fredericksburg. 

This  plan,  however,  did  not  meet  the  approval  of 
General  Halleck.  That  General  had  a  long  confer- 
ence with  Burnside,  at  Warrenton.  Here  their 
various  plans  were  discussed,  without  either  agreeing 
to  the  plan  of  the  other,  and  the  matter  was  finally 
referred  to  the  President  for  his  decision.  After  a 
further  delay  of  several  days,  Mr.  Lincoln  adopted 
Burnside's  plan,  and  the  advance  was  ordered. 


CONCLUSION.  583 

The  success  of  this  plan  depended  upon  the  im- 
mediate possession  of  Fredericksburg  by  the  Federal 
army.  The  intelligent  student  knows  full  well  that 
this  was  not  even  attempted  until  Lee  had  ample  time 
to  heavily  re-enforce  the  rebel  army  already  there. 
The  subsequent  results  show  Burnside's  delay  to  have 
been  fatal  to  his  success. 

There  was  a  time  when  he  could  certainly  have 
taken  Fredericksburg,  with  but  little  loss  ;  but  that 
time  was  passed  when  he  permitted  the  enemy  to  fully 
garrison  the  place,  and  make  ample  provision  for  its 
defense  with  an  army  of  nearly  ninety  thousand  men. 

At  this  time,  however,  my  connection  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  with  the  military  concerns 
of  the  government,  ceased.  Upon  the  removal  of 
General  McClellan,  I  declined  to  act  any  further  in 
the  capacity  in  which  I  had  previously  served, 
although  strongly  urged  to  do  so  by  both  President 
Lincoln  and  the  Secretary  of  War,  Edwin  M. 
Stanton. 

From  my  earliest  faianhood,  I  had  been  an  ardent 
and  active  abolitionist,  and  I  have  endeavored  to 
demonstrate  this  fact  throughout  these  pages.  My 
deep  admiration,  therefore,  for  General  McClellan, 
was  the  result  of  my  knowledge,  of  my  intimate 
acquaintance  with  him,  and  a  consequent  high  regard, 
based  upon  his  innate  and  intrinsic  qualities,  both  as 
a  man  and  a  soldier,  and  not  from  any  political  affinity 
whatever. 


584  CONCLUSION". 

Refusing  longer  to  continue  with  the  army  under 
its  new  commander,  I  was  afterwards  employed  by 
the  government  in  the  work  of  investigating  the 
numerous  claims  that  were  presented  against  the 
United  States.  While  acting  in  this  capacity,  I  was 
instrumental  in  unearthing  a  vast  number  of  fraudu- 
lent claims,  and,  in  bringing  to  justice  a  large  number 
of  men  who  were  engaged  in  the  base  attempt  to 
swindle  and  defraud  the  nation  in  the  dark  hours  of 
her  need  and  peril. 

In  the  Spring  of  1864,  I  was  transfered  to  the 
Department  of  the  Mississippi,  under  General 
Canby,  and  my  headquarters  were  located  at  New 
Orleans.  Here  I  was  engaged  in  looking  after  cotton 
claims,  and  the  frauds  which  were  sought  to  he 
perpetrated  against  the  government  in  that  region  of 
the  country. 

In  1865,  I  severed  my  connection  with  the  "  Secret 
Service  of  the  United  States,"  and  returned  to 
Chicago,  where  I  have  since  been  engaged  in  the 
active  prosecution  of  my  profession  as  a  de- 
tective. 

Very  often,  as  I  sit  in  the  twilight,  my  mind  re- 
verts back  to  those  stirring  scenes  of  by-gone  days  ; 
to  those  years  of  war  and  its  consequent  hardships, 
and  I  recall  with  pleasure  my  own  connection  with 
the  suppression  of  the  rebellion.  My  subsequent  life 
has  been  none  the  less  happy  because  of  my  having 
assisted,  as  best  as  I  could,  in  putting  down  that 


CONCLUSION.  585 

gigantic  act  of  attempted  disunion,  and  in  upholding 
the  flag  of  our  fathers.  More  than  all  do  I  rejoice  in 
the  freedom  it  brought  to  nearly  half  a  million  of 
people,  who,  prior  to  that  time,  had  been  held  in  in- 
human bondage, — striking  the  shackles  from  their 
bruised  limbs,  and  placing  them  before  the  law  free 
and  independent. 

My  task  is  done.  In  a  few  brief  pages  I  have  at- 
tempted to  depict  the  work  of  years.  The  war  is 
over,  the  rebellion  has  been  crushed,  peace  and  plenty 
are  everywhere  apparent.  The  flag  of  the  Union 
floats  from  every  port  in  the  United  States,  the  slave 
is  free,  the  South  is  recovering  from  the  ravages  of 
war,  and  the  stones  of  those  stirring  times  seem  now 
like  the  legends  of  an  olden  time. 

.  One  more  scene  remains,  and  I  will  then  draw  the 
curtain. 

It  is  a  Sabbath  morning,  the  air  is  fragrant  with 
blossom  and  flower,  the  birds  are  carolling  sweetly  a 
requiem  for  the  dead.  Around  us,  sleeping  the  sleep 
that  knows  no  waking,  lie  the  forms  of  those  whom 
we  knew  and  loved.  We  are  in  the  "  city  of  the  dead. " 
The  wind  sighs  through  the  waving  branches  of  the 
trees,  with  a  mournful  melody,  suggestive  of  the 
place.  Near  by  is  the  bustling  city,  but  here  we  are 
surrounded  only  by  the  mute,  though  eloquent  testi- 
monies of  man's  eternal  rest.  Here  beneath  a  droop- 
ing willow  let  us  pause  awhile.  Flowers  are  bloom- 


586  CONCLUSION. 

ing  over  a  mound  of  earth,  saturating  the  atmosphere 
with  a  grateful  aroma.  Let  us  lean  over  while  we 
read  what  is  inscribed  upon  the  marble  tablet. 


SACRED 

TO   THE   MEMORY   OF 

TIMOTHY  WEBSTER, 

WHO 

WAS  EXECUTED  AS  A  SPY, 

BY  THE 

REBELS,  IN   RICHMOND,  VA., 

APRIL   29,    1862, 

AFTER  GALLANT  SERVICE  IN  THE  WAR 
OF  THE  REBELLION. 

HE  SEALED  HIS  FIDELITY  AND  DEVOTION 

TO     HIS     COUNTRY 

WITH  HIS  BLOOD. 


Alike  to  him  are  the  heats  of  summer,  or  the  snows  of  winter. 
Peacefully  and  quietly  he  sleeps.    The  Spy  of  the  Rebellion  is  at  rest. 


APPENDIX. 


REBEL  FORCES  BEFORE  RICHMOND. 

IN  submitting  the  following  detailed  statement  of 
the  rebel  troops  opposing  General  McClellan  in 
his  advance  upon  Richmond,  and  in  the  various  bat- 
tles that  followed,  a  few  words  of  explanation  may  be 
necessary. 

On  the  26th  day  of  June,  1862,  as  Chief  of  the 
Secret  Service,  I  submitted  a  report  to  General 
McClellan,  showing  the  estimated  strength  of  the 
enemy  at  the  time  of  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  to 
have  been  from  100,000  to  120,000  men,  and  that  the 
number  of  the  rebels  on  the  day  of  the  report  was 
estimated  to  be  about  180,000  men. 

.  My  reports,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  made 
daily,  in  writing,  and  were  also  matters  of  almost 
daily  discussion  among  the  general  officers  and  their 
staff.  My  sources  of  information  were  not  confined 
to  my  large  corps  of  experienced  detectives,  who 
were  constantly  employed  as  spies,  but  every  contra- 

[587] 


588  APPENDIX. 

band,  deserter,  refugee,  friendly  Southerner  and  pris- 
oner, taken  in  daily  picket  skirmishes,  were  examined 
by  me,  and  their  statements  verified  by  incontestable 
proofs.  The  Richmond  papers,  also,  were  promptly  % 
and  regularly  obtained,  and  these  gave  detailed  lists 
of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  received  at  the  Rich- 
mond hospitals  during  the  progress  of  the  fighting. 

From  the  above-mentioned  report,  as  far  as  could 
be  ascertained,  the  force  of  the  enemy  consisted  of 
the  following  organizations,  viz.:  208  regiments  of  in- 
fantry, including  the  forces  of  Jackson  and  Ewell, 
just  arrived ;  9  regiments  of  cavalry  ;  39  battalions  of 
artillery ;  30  companies  of  infantry  and  independent 
cavalry ;  besides  63  batteries  of  artillery;  amounting  in 
all  to  from  40  to  50  brigades.  There  were  undoubt- 
edly many  others,  whose  designations  I  did  not  learn ; 
and  I  am  confident  that  my  estimate  did  not  exceed 
the  actual  strength  of  the  rebels  at  that  time. 

In  the  list  which  follows,  I  have  detailed  and 
classified,  as  far  as  possible,  the  information  then  ob- 
tained and  submitted  to  the  commanding  General, 
and  this  will  furnish  to  the  impartial  reader,  a  com- 
paratively intelligent  idea  of  the  nature,  the  extent, 
and  the  approximate  correctness  of  our  system  of  ob- 
taining information,  as  well  as  the  almost  definite  re- 
sults which  we  were  enabled  to  achieve,  while  the 
country  was  in  a  state  of  conflict  and  the  two  armies 
were  in  almost  constant  action. 

I 


APPENDIX. 


589 


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THE 


HARDSHIPS     AND     PRIVATIONS 


OF 


A   DETECTIVE'S   LIFE. 


EVERY  person  who  may  have  survived  the  expe- 
rience has  undoubtedly  a  lively  recollection  of 
the  wild  groups  of  people  which  the  building  of  the 
Union  and  Central  Pacific  Railroads  brought  together 
from  all  directions,  and  from  all  causes. 

There  were  millions  upon  millions  of  dollars  to  be 
expended;  and  as  the  points  of  construction  neared 
each  other,  and  the  twin  bands  of  iron  crept  along  the 
earth's  surface  like  two  huge  serpents,  spanning 
mighty  rivers,  penetrating  vast  mountains,  and  trail- 
ing through  majestic  forests,  creeping  slowly  but 
surely  towards  each  other,  there  was  always  the 
greatest  dread  at  the  most  advanced  points,  which, 
like  the  heads  of.  serpents,  always  contained  danger 
and  death ;  and  the  vast  cities  of  a  day  that  then 

39  [609] 


6  io  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

sprang  into  existence,  and  melted  away  like  school- 
children's  snow-houses,  were  the  points  where 
such  wild  scenes  were  enacted  as  will  probably  never 
again  occur  in  the  history  of  railroad  building. 

Everything  contributed  to  make  these  places 
typical  of  Babelic  confusion,  or  Pandemoniac  conten- 
tion. Foreigners  were  told  of  the  exhaustless  work, 
and  the  exhaustless  wealth,  of  this  new  country  which 
was  being  so  rapidly  developed,  and  they  came ;  men 
— brave  men,  too — who  had  been  on  the  wrong  side 
during  the  late  irritation,  and  who  had  lost  all,  having 
staked  all  on  the  result  of  the  war,  saw  a  possible 
opportunity  of  retrieving  their  fortunes  rapidly,  and 
they  came  ;  the  big-headed  youth  of  the  village  whose 
smattering  of  books  at  the  academy,  or  the  seminary, 
had  enlarged  his  brain  and  contracted  his  sense  so 
that  he  was  too  good  for  the  common  duties  and 
everyday  drudgeries  which,  with  patience,  lead  to 
success,  learned  of  the  glory  and  grandeur  of  that 
new  land,  and  he  came  ;  the  speculating  shirk  and  the 
peculating  clerk  came ;  the  almond-eyed  sons  of  the 
Orient  in  herds — herds  of  quick-witted,  patient,  plod- 
ding beings  who  could  be  beaten,  starved,  even  mur- 
dered— came ;  the  forger,  the  bruiser,  the  counterfeiter, 
the  gambler,  the  garroter,  the  prostitute,  the  robber, 
and  the  murderer,  each  and  every,  came ;  there  was 
adventure  for  the  adventurous,  gold  for  the  thief, 
waiting  throats  for  the  murderer ;  while  the  few 
respectable  people  quickly  became  discouraged,  and 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  611 

fell  into  the  general  looseness  of  habits  that  the  loose 
life  engendered,  and  gradually  grew  reckless  as  the 
most  reckless,  or  quickly  acquiesced  in  the  wild  orgies 
or  startling  crimes  which  were  of  common  occurrence. 
In  fact,  as  in  the  human  system,  when  any  portion  of 
it  becomes  diseased  and  all  the  poison  in  the  blood 
flows  to  it,  further  corrupting  and  diseasing  it  until 
arrested  by  a  gradual  purification  of  the  whole  body, 
or  by  some  severe  treatment,  so  from  every  portion 
of  the  country  flowed  these  streams  of  morally  cor- 
rupt people,  until  nearly  every  town  west  of  Mis- 
souri, or  east  of  the  mountains,  along  these  lines, 
became  a  terror  to  honest  people,  and  continued  so 
until  an  irresistible  conflict  compelled  a  moral  revul- 
sion, sometimes  so  sweeping  and  violent  as  to  cause 
an  application  of  that  unwritten,  though  often  exceed- 
ingly just  law,  the  execution  of  which  leaves  offenders 
dangling  to  limbs  of  trees,  lamp-posts,  and  other  con- 
venient points  of  suspension. 

As  a  rule,  in  these  places,  every  man,  whatever 
his  business  and  condition,  was  thoroughly  armed,  the 
question  of  self-defense  being  a  paramount  one,  from 
the  fact  that  laws  which  governed  older  communities 
were  completely  a  dead  letter ;  and  the  law  of  might, 
in  a  few  instances  made  somewhat  respectable  by  a 
faint  outline  of  ruffianly  honor,  alone  prevailed,  until 
advancing  civilization  and  altered  conditions  brought 
about  a  better  state  of  society  ;  so  that  in  these  reck- 
less crowds  which  pushed  after  the  constantly  chang- 


612  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

ing  termini  of  the  approaching  roads,  any  instrument 
of  bloodshed  was  considered  valuable,  and  stores  where 
arms  and  ammunition  could  be  secured  did  quite  as 
large  a  trade  as  those  devoted  to  any  other  branch  of 
business ;  while  so  outrageous  was  the  price  extorted 
for  these  instruments  of  aggression  or  defense,  that 
they  have  often  been  known  to  sell  for  their  weight 
in  g^ld  ;  and  just  as,  during  the  war,  the  army  was 
followed  by  enterprising  traders  who  turned  many  an 
honest  penny  trafficking  at  the  heels  of  the  weary 
soldiers,  so  the  same  class  of  people  were  not  slow  to 
take  advantage  of  such  opportunities  for  gigantic  pro- 
fits which,  though  often  lessened  by  the  many  risks 
run  in  such  trading,  were  still  heavy  enough  to 
prove  peculiarly  attractive. 

As  a  consequence,  there  were  many  firms  engaged 
in  this  particular  business,  but  probably  the  heaviest 
was  that  of  Kuhn  Brothers,  who  were  reported  to 
be  worth  upwards  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
which  had  principally  been  made  along  the  line  of  the 
read,  and  who,  with  headquarters  at  Cheyenne,  had 
.  established  various  "  stores "  at  different  points  as 
the  Union  Pacific  was  pushed  on,  always  keeping  the 
largest  stock  at  the  most  advanced  point,  and  with- 
drawing stocks  from  the  paper  cities  which  had  been 
left  behind,  though  only  in  those  towns  which  had 
not  been  altogether  destroyed  by  the  periodical  ex- 
odus occasioned  by  each  change  of  terminus. 

For  this  reason  the  firms  were  obliged  to  entrust 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  613 

their  business  to  the  honesty  of  many  different  em- 
ployes, who  were  subject  to  the  vitiating  influences 
and  temptations,  which  were  unusual  and  severe  un- 
der the  circumstances  already  mentioned,  while  the 
distances  between  the  points,  and  the  scarcity  of 
secure  means  of  safely  keeping  the  large  sums  of 
money  which  would  occasionally  unavoidably  accrue 
at  certain  points,  left  Kuhn  Brothers,  in  many,  in- 
stances, really  dependent  on  those  dependent  on 
them. 

In  this  condition  of  affairs,  and  after  a  slight  de- 
falcation had  occurred  at  one  of  their  smaller  stores 
in  the  spring  of  1867,  the  firm  were  seeking  a  man 
whom  they  could  place  in  actual  charge  of  one  or  two 
of  their  establishments  at  the  larger  towns,  and  give 
a  sort  of  general  supervision  over  the  others,  when 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  being  in  Laramie,  casu- 
ally met  a  young  gentleman,  who  happened  to  be 
able  to  do  him  so  great  a  favor  that  the  incident  led 
to  a  close  friendship  and  ultimate  business  relations, 
eventually  resulting  in  this  narrative  of  facts. 

It  was  a  pleasant  May  evening,  and  Mr.  Kuhn 
had  decided  tp  returned  to  Cheyenne  in  order  to 
secure  a  proper  man  for  the  superintendency  nearer 
home.  He  was  to  have  left  Lararnie  for  the  East  at 
a  late  hour  of  the  evening  and,  being  at  a  loss  how 
to  pass  the  intervening  time,  strolled  out  from  the 
hotel  with  no  particular  destination  in  view,  and  his 
mind  fully  occupied  with  the  cares  of  his  business, 


6i4  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

only  occasionally  noticing  some  peculiarity  or  strange 
sight  more  than  usually  striking  among  the  thousands 
of  weired  things,  to  which  his  frontier  business  had 
compelled  him  to  become  accustomed,  when  suddenly 
he  found  himself  in  front  of  a  mammoth  dance-house, 
and,  yielding  to  a  momentary  impulse  of  curiosity, 
turned  into  the  place  with  the  stream  of  gamblers, 
adventurers,  greasers,  and,  in  fact,  everybody  re- 
spectable or  otherwise,  who,  so  far  from  civilization, 
found  such  a  place  peculiarly  attractive. 

The  dance-house  was  a  sort  of  hell's  bazaar,  if 
the  term  may  be  allowed — and  it  is  certainly  the 
one  most  befitting  it — and  was  really  no  "  house  "  at 
all,  being  merely  a  very  large  board  enclosure 
covered  with  a  gigantic  tent  or  series  of  tents,  be- 
decked with  flags  and  gaudy  streamers.  The  en- 
trance fee  to  this  elegant  place  of  amusement  was 
one  dollar,  and  you  had  only  paid  an  initiatory  fee 
when  you  had  gained  admission. 

On  either  side  as  you  entered  were  immense  bars, 
built  of  the  roughest  of  boards,  where  every  kind  of 
liquid  poison  was  dispensed  at  the  moderate  sum  of 
twenty-five  cents  a  drink,  five-cent  cigars  selling  at 
the  same  price,  and  the  united  efforts  of  a  half-dozen 
murderous  looking  bar-tenders  at  each  side  were  re- 
quired to  assuage  the  thirst  of  the  quite  as  murder- 
ous looking  crowd  that  swayed  back  and  forth  within 
the  space  evedently  prepared  for  that  purpose. 

Beyond  this  point,  and    to   either   side,    as   also 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  615 

down  the  center  for  some  distance,  could  be  found 
almost  every  known  game  of  chance,  dealt,  of  course, 
"by  the  house,"  while  surrounding  the  lay-outs  were 
every  description  of  men  crazed  with  drink,  flushed 
with  success,  or  deathly  pale  from  sudden  ruin ; 
while  everywhere  the  revolver  or  the  bowie  intimated 
with  what  terrible  swiftness  and  certainty  any  trifling 
dispute,  rankling  grudge,  or  violent  insult  would  be 
settled,  one  way  or  the  other,  and  to  be  marked  by 
the  mere  pitching  of  an  inanimate  form  into  the  street ! 

After  these  attractions  came  a  stout  partition  which 
had  evidently  been  found  necessary,  for  beyond  it 
there  was  the  strikingly  strange  heaven  of  a  mushroom 
city — a  vast  department  where  there  were  music  and 
women  ;  and  it  seemed  that  the  "  management "  of 
this  grand  robbers'  roost  had  shrewdly  calculated  on 
the  fact  that  if  a  poor  fool  had  not  been  swindled  out 
of  every  dollar  he  might  have  had  before  he  reached 
this  point,  those  two  elements,  all  powerful  for  good 
or  evil  the  world  over,  would  wring  the  last  penny 
from  him. 

Here  was  another  but  a  finer  bar,  where  more 
time  was  taken  to  prepare  a  drink  and  drug  a  man 
with  some  show  of  artistic  excellence,  and  where  a 
half  dollar  was  changed  for  a  single  measure  of 
poison  ;  women, — shrewd,  devilish  women  who  could 
shoot  or  cut,  if  occasion  required,  with  the  nicety  and. 
effect  of  a  man, — "steering"  every  person  giving 
token  of  having  money  in  his  possession  to  the  more. 


6x6  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

genteelly  gotten  up  "lay-outs,"  and  acting  in  the 
same  capacity,  only  with  far  more  successful  results, 
as  the  ordinary  "  ropers-in  "  of  any  large  city  ;  a  wild, 
discordant  orchestra  that  would  have  been  hooted  out 
of  the  lowest  of  the  "  varieties  "  east  of  the  Missouri ; 
but  in  this  place,  and  to  these  ears,  so  long  unused  to 
the  music  of  the  far-away  homes  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi, producing  the  very  perfection  of  enchanting 
harmonies  ;  but  above  all,  and  the  crowning  attraction 
before  which  every  other  thing  paled  and  dwindled 
*o  insignificance,  a  score  of  abandoned  women, 
•dancing  and  ogling  with  every  manner  of  man,  rob- 
bing them  while  embracing,  cheering  and  drinking 
with  them,  and  in  every  way  bedeviling  them ;  the 
whole  forming  a  scene  viler  than  imagination  or  the 
pen  of  man  can  conceive  or  picture  ;  grouping  of  wild 
orgies  and  terrible  debaucheries,  such  as  would  put 
Lucifer  to  a  blush,  and  compel  a  revolution  in  the 
lowest  depths  of  Hades. 

Kuhn  had  strolled  through  the  place,  and  now, 
out  of  compliment  to  general  custom,  purchased  a 
cigar  and  was  just  turning  to  depart,  when  he  sud- 
denly found  himself  being  hustled  back  and  forth 
among  several  hard-looking  fellows,  who,  evidently 
knowing  his  business,  and  surmising  that  he  carried 
large  sums  of  money  upon  his  person,  had  determined 
to  provoke  him  to  resistance  ;  when  there  would,  ac- 
cording to  the  social  codes  then  in  existence  at  Lar- 
amie,  have  been  a  just  cause  for  either  robbing  and 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  617 

beating  him,  or  murdering  him  outright  and  robbing 
him  afterwards  ;  when  a  tall,  finely-formed  man  sud- 
denly stepped  into  the  crowd,  and  in  a  very  decided 
tone  of  voice  said  : 

"  I  say,  gentlemen,  that  won't  do.  You  must 
stand  back  !" 

Then  taking  the  terror-stricken  ammunition  dealer 
by  the  coat  collar  with  his  left  hand,  but  keeping  his 
right  hand  free  for  quick  use  and  certain  work,  if  nec- 
esssary,  he  trotted  him  through  the  now  excited 
throng  and  out  into  the  open  air,  hastily  telling  him 
to  "  cut  for  the  hotel,"  which  were  quite  unnecessary 
instructions,  as  he  made  for  that  point  at  as  lively  a 
gait  as  his  rather  dumpy  legs  could  carry  him. 

The  person  who  had  thus  prevented  the  mer- 
chant's being  robbed,  and  had  also  possibly  saved  his 
life,  was  a  tall,  comely  young  man  of  about  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age,  and  with  a  complexion  as  fair  as 
a  woman's,  pleasant,  though  determined,  blue  eyes, 
and  a  long,  reddish,  luxuriant  beard,  all  of  which,  with 
a  decidedly  military  cut  to  his  gray,  woollen  garments, 
and  long  fair  hair  falling  upon  his  shoulders — the 
whole  crowned,  or  rather  slouched  over,  by  a  white 
hat  of  extraordinary  width  of  brim,  gave  him  the  ap- 
pearance of  an  ex-Confederate  officer,  and  right  good 
fellow,  as  the  term  goes,  perfectly  capable  of  caring 
for  himself  wherever  his  fortune,  or  misfortune,  might 
lead  him  ;  which  proved  the  case  as  he  turned  and 
confronted  the  desperadoes,  who  had  immediately 


6x8  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

followed  him  in  a  threatening  manner,  and  whom  he 
stood  ready  to  receive  with  a  navy  revolver  half  as 
long  as  his  arm,  mysteriously  whipped  from  some 
hiding-place,  in  each  steady  hand. 

A  critical  examination  of  the  man  as  he  stood 
there,  and  a  very  casual  survey  of  him,  for  that  mat- 
ter, would  have  instantly  suggested  the  fact  to  an  or- 
dinary observer  that  a  very  cool  man  at  the  rear  ends 
of  two  navy-  revolvers  huge  enough  to  have  been 
mounted  for  light-artillery  service,  was  something 
well  calculated  to  check  the  mounting  ambition  on 
the  part  of  most  anybody  to  punish  him  for  the  char- 
acter of  the  interference  shown  ;  and  the  leader  of  the 
gang  contented  himself  with  remarking,  "  See  here, 
Captain  Harry,  if  it  wasn't  you,  there'd  be  a  reck'ning 
here  ;  lively,  too,  I'm  tellin'  ye  !" 

"  Well,  but  it  is  me ;  and  so  there  won't  be  any 
reck'ning.  Will  there,  now,  eh  ?" 

The  ruffians  made  no  answer,  but  sullenly  re- 
turned to  the  dance-house,  when  Captain  Harry,  as 
he  had  been  called,  rammed  the  two  huge  revolvers 
into  his  boot  legs,  which  action  displayed  a  smaller 
weapon  of  the  same  kind  upon  each  hip ;  after  which 
he  nodded  a  pleasant  "  good-night "  to  the  bystanders, 
and  walked  away  leisurely  in  the  direction  Mr.  Kuhn 
had  taken,  pleasantly  whistling  "  The  Bonnie  Blue 
Flag,"  or  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  as  best 
suited  him. 

The  moment  that  Mr.  Kuhn's  protector  appeared 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  619 

at  the  hotel,  the  former  gentleman  expressed  his  live- 
liest thanks  for  the  opportune  assistance  he  had  been 
rendered,  and  introduced  himself  to  the  Captain,  who 
already  knew  of  him,  and  who  in  return  gave  his 
name  as  "  Harry  G.  Taylor,  the  man  from  some- 
where," as  he  himself  expressed  it  with  a  pleasant 
laugh. 

It  was  easy  to  be  seen  that  there  was  a  stroke  of 
business  in  Mr.  Kuhn's  eye,  which  his  escape  from 
the  dance-house  had  suggested,  as  he  told  Taylor 
that  he  had  intended  to  return  to  Cheyenne  that 
night ;  but  he  further  stated  that  as  he  had  so  unex- 
pectedly been  befriended,  he  should  certainly  be 
obliged  to  remain  another  day  in  order  to  secure  a 
further  acquaintance  with  the  man  to  whem  he  already 
owed  so  much. 

Mr.  Kuhn  then  produced  some  choice  cigars,  and 
the  gentlemen  secured  a  retired  place  upon  the  hotel- 
porch,  at  once  entering  into  a  general  conversation, 
which,  from  the  merchant's  evident  unusual  curiosity, 
and  Taylor's  quite  as  evident  good-humored,  devil- 
may-care  disposition,  caused  it  to  drift  into  the  Cap- 
tain's account  of  himself. 

He.  told  Mr.  Kuhn  that  his  family  resided  at  that 
time  in  Philadelphia,  where  they  had  moved  after  his 
father  had  failed  in  business  at  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  but 
had  taken  so  honorable  a  name  with  him  to  the 
former  city  that  he  had  been  able  to  retrieve  his  for- 
tunes to  some  extent.  The  Captain  was  born  at 


620  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

Raleigh,  and  had  received  his  education  in  the  South, 
and,  being  unable  to  share  in  his  father's  regard  for 
the  North,  even  as  a  portion  of  the  country  best 
adapted  for  doing  business,  sought  out  some  of  his 
old  college  friends  in  Louisville,  Atlanta,  and  New 
Orleans,  who  had  been  able  to  secure  him  a  fine  busi- 
ness position  at  Atlanta,  where  by  care  and  economy 
in  1860,  though  but  a  mere  boy  yet,  he  had  accumu- 
lated property  that  would  have  satisfied  many  a  man 
twenty  years  his  senior. 

Being  impulsive,  and  a  warm  admirer  of  Southern 
institutions,  he  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  join  the 
Confederate  army  at  Atlanta,  and  fought  in  a  Georgia 
regiment  under  Johnson  and  Hood  during  the  entire 
war,  at  Jonesville  and  Rough-and-Ready  Station 
seeing  the  smoke  ascend  above  the  ruins  of  the  once 
beautiful  city,  and  realizing  that  the  most  of  his 
earthly  possessions  had  disappeared  when  the  flames 
died  away. 

Having  been  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  he  had 
fought  as  bravely  as  he  could  against  the  "  blue- 
coats,"  like  a  man,  acknowledging  their  bravery  as 
well  as  that  of  his  comrades ;  and  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  which  of  course  terminated  disadvantageously  to 
his  interests,  he  had  sold  his  lots  at  Atlanta  for  what- 
ever he  could  get  for  them,  and  with  thousands  of 
others  in  like  circumstances,  had  come  West  and 
taken  his  chances  at  retrieving  his  fortunes. 

This  was  told   in  a  frank,  straightforward  way, 


621 


which  seemed  to  completely  captivate  Mr.  KuLn,  for 
he  at  once  spoke  to  Taylor  concerning  his  business  in 
Laramie,  and  bluntly  asked  him,  in  the  event  of 
mutual  and  satisfactory  references  being  exchanged, 
whether  he  would  accept  the  engagement  as  superin- 
tendent of  his  business  over  that  portion  of  the  road, 
and  take  actual  charge  of  the  store  in  that  place, 
and  the  one  about  to  be  established  at  Benton  City. 

The  result  of  the  evening's  interview  was  the 
engagement  of  Taylor  by  the  firm  at  a  large  salary  ; 
his  immediately  taking  supervision  of  the  business 
without  bonds  or  any  security  whatever  ;  and  for  a 
time  his  management  and  habits  were  so  able  and 
irreproachable  that,  with  the  gratitude  for  his  protec- 
tion of  Mr.  Kuhn  at  Lamarie  still  fresh  and  sincere, 
the  firm  felt  that  they  had  been  most  fortunate  in 
their  selection  of  an  utter  stranger,  and  were  in  every 
way  gratified  with  the  turn  events  had  taken. 


II. 


DURING  the  early  morning  of  a  blustering  Decem- 
ber day  of  the  same  year,  I  was  quite  annoyed  by  the 
persistence  of  a  gentleman  to  see  me,  on  what  he 
insisted,  in  the  business  office  of  my  Chicago  agency, 
on  terming  "  important  business." 


622  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

It  was  not  later  than  half-past  eight  o'clock ;  and, 
as  I  have  made  it  a  life-long  practice  to  get  at 
business  at  an  early  hour,  get  ahead  of  it,  and  keep 
ahead  of  it  during  the  day,  I  was  elbow-deep  in  the 
mass  of  letters,  telegrams,  and  communications  of  a 
different  nature,  which,  in  my  business,  invariably 
accumulates  during  the  night,  and  felt  anxious  to  wade 
through  it  before  taking  up  any  other  matter. 

The  gentleman,  who  gave  the  name  of  Kuhn, 
seemed  very  anxious  to  see  me,  however ;  and  letting 
drop  the  statements  that  he  greatly  desired  to  take 
the  morning  train  for  Cheyenne,  where  he  resided  ; 
might  not  be  able  to  be  in  Chicago  again  for  some 
time  ;  felt  very  desirous  of  seeing  me  personally ;  and 
would  require  but  a  few  moments  to  explain  his 
business,  which  he  agreed  to  make  explicit ;  I  con- 
cluded to  drop  everything  else  and  see  him. 

On  being  ushered  into  my  private  apartments,  he 
at  once  hastily  gave  me  an  outline  of  the  facts  related 
in  the  previous  chapter,  adding  a  new  series  of 
incidents  which  occasioned  his  visit,  and  to  the  effect 
that  the  firm  had  made  the  necessary  arrangements 
for  increasing  their  busines  under  their  new  superin- 
tendent, having  added  largely  to  their  stock  at  Lar- 
amie,  and  placed  about  twenty  thousand  dollars'  worth 
of  goods  at  Benton  City. 

According  to  the  agreement,  he  was  required  to 
forward  money  whenever  the  sales  had  reached  a 
stated  sum  at  each  point,  and  was  given  authority  to 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  623 

take  charge  of  goods  or  moneys  on  hand  at  any  of 
the  less  important  stations,  when  convinced  that 
things  were  being  run  loosely,  or  whenever  it  in  any 
way  appeared  for  the  interests  of  the  firm  for  him  to 
do  so. 

It  will  be  seen  that  under  this  arrangement,  which 
was  in  every  respect  injudicious,  no  security  having 
been  given  by  Taylor,  he  immediately  became 
possessed  of  great  responsibility,  as  well  as  power ; 
but  appeared  to  appreciate  the  unusual  confidence 
reposed  in  him,  and  conducted  the  business  of  Kuhn 
Brothers  with  unusual  profit  to  them  and  credit  to 
himself.  Matters  progressed  in  this  way  for  some 
time,  when  suddenly,  about  the  first  of  October,  the 
firm  at  Cheyenne  began  to  receive  dispatches  from 
different  employees  along  the  road,  inquiring  when 
Taylor  was  to  return  from  Cheyenne,  and  intimating 
that  business  was  greatly  suffering  from  his  absence. 
The  members  of  the  firm  were  astonished.  They 
knew  nothing  of  Taylor's  being  in  Cheyenne.  On 
the  contrary,  their  last  advices  from  him  were  to  the 
effect  that  he  should  be  at  their  city  on  the  tenth  of 
that  month,  with  large  collections ;  and  the  announce- 
ment was  accompanied  with  glowing  accounts  of  the 
prosperity  of  their  business  under  his  careful  manage- 
ment. 

After  the  startling  intelligence  of  Taylor's  unac- 
countable absence,  a  member  of  the  firm  immediately 
left  for  Laramie,  Benton  City,  and  other  points,  to 


634  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

ascertain  the  true  condition  of  affairs,  still  unable  to 
believe  that  the  handsome,  chivalrous  captain  had 
wronged  them,  and  that  everything  would  be  found 
right  upon  examination  of  matters  which  was  imme- 
diately and  searchingly  entered  upon  ;  but  the  first 
glance  at  affairs  showed  conclusively  that  they  had 
been  swindled,  and  it  was  soon  discovered  that  he 
had  gathered  together  at  the  stores  under  his  own 
charge,  and  at  different  points  along  the  line,  under 
various  pretexts,  fully  fourteen  thousand  dollars,  and 
had  been  given  two  weeks  in  which  to  escape. 

Mr.  Kuhn  did  not  desire  to  give  the  case  into  my 
hands  on  that  morning ;  but  explained  that  he  had  re- 
turned from  a  fruitless  trip  to  Philadelphia  in  search 
of  his  former  superintendent,  and  had  been  advised 
by  a  telegram  from  his  brothers  to  lay  the  case  before 
me  and  request  my  advice  about  the  matter ;  at  the 
same  time  securing  information  about  the  probable 
pecuniary  outlay  necessary  for  further  prosecution  of 
the  search,  and  such  other  items  of  information  as 
would  enable  him  to  counsel  with  the  remainder  of 
the  firm  concerning  the  case,  and  be  able  to  give  the 
case  into  my  hands,  should  they  decide  to  do  so, 
without  further  delay. 

This  was  given  him  ;  and  I,  in  turn,  secured  from 
Mr.  Kuhn  all  the  information  possible  concerning 
Taylor,  which  was  scant  indeed,  as  they  had  seen  very 
little  of  him,  could  give  but  a  very  general  descrip- 
tion of  the  man,  and  here  they  had  injudiciously  given 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  625 

him  over  two  months'  start,  during  which  time  he 
might  have  safely  got  to  the  other  side  of  the  world. 

Only  one  item  of  information  had  been  developed 
by  which  a  clue  to  his  whereabouts  could  by  any  pos- 
sibility be  imagined.  He  had  often  spoken  to  Mr. 
Kuhn  in  the  most  glowing  terms  of  life  in  both  Texas 
and  Mexico,  as  he  had  passed,  so  he  had  said,  a  por- 
tion of  a  year  in  that  part  of  America,  since  the  close 
of  the  war,  and  in  connection  with  the  subject,  he  had 
stated  that  he  should  have  remained  there  had  he 
been  supplied  with  sufficient  capital  to  have  enabled 
him  to  begin  business. 

This  was  all ;  and  I  dismissed  the  swindled  mer- 
chant with  little  encouragement  as  to  the  result  of  a 
chase  for  a  thief  who  had  got  so  much  the  advantage  ; 
or,  rather,  intimated  to  him  that  though  I  had  no 
doubts  of  being  able  to  eventually  catch  him,  it  would 
be  rather  a  poor  investment  for  the  firm  to  expend 
the  amount  of  money  which  might  be  necessary  to 
effect  his  capture,  unless,  in  looking  into  the  matter 
further,  I  should  be  able  to  see  opportunities  for 
securing  much  better  knowledge  as  to  his  present 
whereabouts,  or  clues  which  could  be  made  to  lead 
to  them. 

With  this  not  very  cheering  assurance,  Mr.  Kuhn 
returned  to  Cheyenne. 

Not  hearing  from  the  firm  for  several  days,  I 
finally  dismissed  the  matter  entirely  from  mind  ;  but 

on  arriving  at  the  agency  one  morning,  I  received  in- 
40 


626  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

structions  from  the  Cheyenne  firm  to  proceed  in  the 
matter,  and  with  all  expedition  possible  endeavor  to 
cage  the  flown  bird  for  them. 

I  at  once  detailed  William  A.  Pinkerton,  my  eldest 
son,  and  at  present  assistant  superintendent  of  my 
Chicago  agency,  to  proceed  to  Cheyenne,  and  look 
over  the  ground  thoroughly  there,  and  also,  if  neces- 
sary, to  proceed  along  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific, 
and,  after  ascertainig  who  were  Taylor's  friends  and 
companions,  work  up  a  trail  through  them,  which 
would  eventually  bring  him  down. 

The  latter  course  was  not  necessary  to  be  followed, 
however,  as  on  arriving  at  Cheyenne,  with  some  little 
information  gleaned  from  the  firm,  he  was  able  to 
ascertain  that  a  young  lawyer  there  named  La  Grange, 
also  orginally  from  the  South,  had  been  a  quite  inti- 
mate friend  of  Taylor's — so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  La 
Grange  had  for  the  last  six  months  regularly  corre- 
sponded with  the  Captain's  sister,  who  had  been  de- 
scribed to  him  as  not  only  an  exceedingly  beautiful 
woman,  but  as  also  a  lady  possessed  of  unusual 
accomplishments  and  amiability. 

My  son  "  cultivated "  La  Grange  largely,  but 
could  secure  but  little  information  through  him.  He 
seemed  to  know  nothing  further  concerning  either 
Taylor  or  his  family,  save  that  he  had  incidentally 
met  him  along  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  ;  they  had 
naturally  taken  a  sort  of  liking  to  each  other,  and  in 
that  way  became  friends  in  much  the  same  manner 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  627 

r  ' 

that  most  friendships  were  made  in  that  country.  He 
further  recollected  that  he  had  always  directed  his 
letters  to  a  certain  post-office  box,  instead  of  to  a 
street  number;  but  seemed  perfectly  mystified  con- 
cerning the  action  of  the  brother.  He  had  just  re- 
turned from  a  three  months'  absence  in  Kentucky, 
and  it  was  the  first  intimation  he  had  had  of  the  Cap- 
tain's crime.  La  Grange  also  said  that  as  he  had 
been  very  busy,  he  had  not  written  to  Miss  Lizzie 
(evidently  referring  to  the  sister),  nor  had  he  received 
any  communication  from  her  during  that  time.  He 
had  had  a  photograph  of  Harry,  taken  in  full-dress 
uniform  while  stationed  at  Atlanta,  which  had  been 
copied  in  Philadelphia,  but  a  thorough  search  among 
his  papers  failed  to  reveal  it. 

This  was  all  that  my  son  could  secure,  as  La 
Grange,  evidently  suspecting  that,  in  his  surprise  at 
Taylor's  crime,  he  might  say  something  to  com- 
promise himself  and  endanger  Taylor  or  wound  his 
beautiful  sister,  to  whom  he  seemed  greatly  attached, 
positively  refused  to  have  anything  further  to  say 
concerning  the  matter ;  and  with  what  information  he 
had,  William  returned  to  the  hotel  in  a  brown  study, 
determined  to  take  time  to  exhaust  the  material  at 
Cheyenne  before  proceeding  on  the  proposed  trip 
along  the  Union  Pacific. 

After  summing  up  and  arranging  the  points  he  had 
got  hold  of,  he  telegraphed  me  fully,  adding  his  own 
impression  that  Taylor  was  in  Texas,  but  expressing 


628  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

a  doubt  as  to  whether  he  had  better  proceed  along 
the  Union  Pacific  for  more  information,  or  go  on  to 
Philadelphia  at  once,  and  in  some  way  secure  informa- 
tion of  the  family  as  to  their  son's  whereabouts. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  telegram,  which  arrived  in 
Chicago  about  noon,  I  at  once  resolved  upon  a  little 
strategy,  being  myself  satisfied  that  Taylor  had  pro- 
ceeded, via  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans  into  either 
Texas  or  Mexico,  and  was  then  engaged  under  his 
own  or  an  assumed  name,  in  some  business  agreeable 
to  his  taste,  as  formerly  explained  to  Mr.  Kuhn,  and 
immediately  telegraphed  to  my  son  : 

"  Keep  La  Grange  busied  all  day  so  he  cannot 
write,  or  mail  letters.  Study  La  Grange's  language 
and  modes  of  expression.  Get  La  Grange's  and 
Taylor's  handwriting,  signatures,  and  Miss  Taylor's 
address,  and  come  next  train." 

Agreeable  to  these  instructions,  he  secured  several 
letters  from  Taylor  to  Kuhn  Brothers,  concerning 
business  matters,  with  the  last  one,  containing  the 
announcement  that  he  would  be  in  Cheyenne  on  the 
tenth  of  October  with  collections  ;  and  immediately 
sent  by  a  messenger  a  courteous  note  to  La  Grange, 
desiring  an  outline  of  Taylor's  life  so  far  as  he  might 
feel  justified  in  giving  it,  and  requesting  an  answer, 
which  was  politely  but  firmly  given  in  the  negative 
over  Adolph  La  Grange's  own  signature,  which  com- 
pleted a  portion  of  his  work  neatly. 

The  balance  was   more  difficult.     He  ordered  a 


A     DETECLIVE'S    LIFE.  629 

sleigh,  and  after  settling  his  hotel  bill,  but  reserving 
his  room  for  the  night,  at  once  drove  to  La  Grange's 
office,  where  he  in  person  thanked  him  for  his  court- 
eous letter,  even  if  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  giving 
him  the  information  desired.  A  little  complimentary 
conversation  ensued  during  which  time  my  son's  quick 
eyes  noticed  in  the  lawyer's  waste-basket  an  envelope 
evidently  discarded  on  account  of  its  soiled  appear- 
ance, addressed  to  "  Miss  Lizzie  Taylor,  Post-office 
Box  -  — ,  Philadelphia,"  which  on  the  first  opportu- 
nity he  appropriated.  The  next  move  was  to  prevent 
La  Grange's  mailing  any  letter,  as  it  was  evident  he 
had  written  several,  including  one  to  Taylor's  sister, 
which  were  only  waiting  to  be  mailed. 

Seeing  that  he  had  made  a  pleasant  impression 
upon  La  Grange,  who  appreciated  the  courtesy  of  the 
call  under  the  circumstances,  and  informing  him  that 
he  had  decided  to  make  no  further  inquiries  there,  but 
was  to  proceed  west  on  the  following  morning,  he  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  take  a  ride  in  his  company  about 
the  city  and  its  environs.  In  leaving  his  office,  La 
Grange  hesitated  a  moment  as  if  deciding  the  pro- 
priety of  taking  the  letters  with  him,  or  returning  for 
them  after  the  sleigh-ride ;  but  evidently  decided  to  do 
the  latter,  as  he  left  them,  much  to  my  son's  relief. 

The  drive  was  prolonged  as  much  as  possible,  and 
the  outlying  forts  visited,  where,  having  letters  of  in- 
troduction from  myself  to  several  army-officers  sta- 
tioned there,  both  he  and  his  companion  were  so  hos- 


630  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

pitably  treated  that  the  afternoon  slipped  away 
quickly,  and  the  two  returned  to  town  evidently  in 
high  spirits.  La  Grange  felt  compelled  to  recipro- 
cate as  far  as  in  his  power,  and  billiards,  with  frequent 
drinks  for  the  lawyer  and  a  liberal  supply  of  water 
for  the  detective,  were  in  order  until  within  a  half 
hour  of  the  eastern  bound  train  time,  when  La  Grange 
succumbed  to  an  accumulation  of  good-fellowship, 
and  on  his  own  suggestion,  as  he  "wash  rising  y'n'g 
'torny  y'know  !"  accepted  the  hospitalities  of  my  son's 
room,  at  the  Rawlins  House,  where  he  left  him 
sweetly  sleeping  at  a  rate  which  would  prevent  the 
mailing  of  the  letters  he  had  left  locked  in  his  office 
for  at  least  two  days  to  come  ;  as  "  rising  young  at- 
torneys," as  a  rule,  sober  off  in  a  carefully  graduated 
diminishing  scale  of  excesses  of  quite  similar  con- 
struction to  the  original. 

On  the  arrival  of  my  son  in  Chicago,  I  immedi- 
ately caused  to  be  written  a  letter  addressed  to  Miss 
Lizzie  Taylor,  at  her  post-office  box  in  Philadelphia, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 

"SHERMAN  HOUSE,  CHICAGO,  Jan.  1868. 
"  Miss  TAYLOR, 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  : — You  know  of  my  intended 
absence  from  Cheyenne  in  the  South.  During  that 
trip,  I  really  never  had  the  time  when  I  could  write 
you  so  fully  as  I  desired,  and  even  now  I  am  only 
able  to  send  you  a  few  words.  I  am  en  route  to 
Washington  on  business,  and  have  now  to  ask  you 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  631 

to  send  the  street  and  number  of  your  father's  nouse, 
even  if  it  is  not  a  magnificent  one,  as  you  have  told 
me,  to  my  address,  at  the  Girard  House,  in  your  city, 
on  receipt  of  this,  as  I  shall  be  in  Washington  but 
one  day,  and  would  wish  to  see  both  you  and  your 
people  without  delay.  I  not  only  greatly  wish  to  see 
you  for  selfish  reasons,  which  our  long  and  pleasant 
correspondence  will  suggest  to  you  as  both  reason- 
able and  natural,  but  there  are  other  good  reasons, 
which  you  all  will  readily  understand  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  met  him  accidentally  just  before  my  return  to 
Cheyenne,  and  that  I  have  a  communication  of  a  per- 
sonal nature  to  deliver.  While  not  upholding  him 
in  the  step  he  has  taken,  I  cannot  forget  that  I  am 
his  friend,  and  he  your  brother. 
"In  great  haste, 

"  Your  true  friend, 

"ADOLPH  LA  G . 

"P.  S. — I  leave  here  for  the  East  this  morning. 
Please  answer  on  immediate  receipt. 

A.  L." 

This  was  posted  on  the  eastern-bound  train  not 
an  hour  after  my  son's  arrival  from  the  West ;  and 
another  note  was  written  upon  the  back  of  an  en- 
velope which  had  passed  through  the  mail,  and  had 
got  a  very  much  used  appearance,  and  ran  thus  : 

"  FATHER  OF  LIZZIE  : 

"  Treat  Adolph  well,  you  can  trust  him.  Give  him 
one  of  the  '  photos '  taken  at  Atlanta  in  my  full-dress 
uniform  ;  keep  one  other  of  the  same  for  yourselves ; 
but  destroy  all  the  rest.  Have  been  so  hurried  and 


632  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

worried  that  I  don't  remember  whether  I  have  said 
anything  about  photographs  before.  But  this  is  a 
matter  of  imperative  necessity.  Adolph  will  explain 
how  he  met  me.  "  Good-by, 

"  H. " 

It  was  impossible  to  detect  any  difference  between 
this  handwriting  and  that  of  Captain  Taylor's  in  his 
business  correspondence  to  Kuhn  Brothers ;  and, 
armed  with  this  document,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
epistolary  self-introduction  which  had  preceded  it,  I 
directed  my  son  to  leave  for  Philadelphia  that 
evening,  secure  admission  to  Taylor's  residence  and 
the  family's  confidence,  agreeable  to  the  appointment 
made  by  mail,  and  thus  not  only  secure  the  man's 
photograph,  but  other  information  that  would  be 
definite. 

On  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  he  secured  the  services 
of  an  operative  from  my  agency  in  that  city,  to  fol- 
low any  member  of  the  Taylor  family  who  might  call 
for  the  letter,  to  their  residence,  in  the  event  of  an 
answer  not  being  received  at  his  hotel  in  due  time 
from  the  one  assumed  to  have  been  sent  from  the 
hotel  in  Chicago  from  La  Grange,  who  found  Taylor's 
home,  an  unpretentious  house  on  Locust  street, 
while  my  son  remained  at  the  hotel,  fully  expecting 
the  coveted  invitation  to  visit  the  Captain's  beauti- 
ful sister,  which  arrived  at  his  hotel  only  a  half  day 
after  he  did,  and  strongly  urged  him  to  call  at  his 
convenience. 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  633 

He  was  satisfied  from  this  that  our  theory  regard- 
ing his  being  in  Texas,  or  Mexico,  was  correct  ;  that 
the  family  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  his  iden- 
tity, and  that,  wherever  Captain  Taylor  might  be, 
communication  with  his  people  had  been  very  infre- 
quent, and  that,  with  what  he  would  be  able  to  invent, 
after  being  received  at  Taylor's  house,  he  could 
secure  at  least  sufficient  information  to  put  him 
upon  his  son's  trail.  Not  desiring  to  play  upon  their 
feelings  and  friendship  as  another  person  any  longer 
than  necessary,  however,  he  sent  word  by  a  messen- 
ger, not  daring  to  trust  his  own  handwriting,  that  he 
would  call  that  evening,  though  necessarily  at  a  late 
hour ;  and,  accordingly,  that  evening,  about  nine 
o'clock,  found  him  at  the  door  of  a  pleasant  Locust 
street  cottage,  ringing  for  admission. 

A  tall,  handsome  young  woman  greeted  him  at 
the  door,  and  accordingly  bade  him  enter,  saying 
pleasantly,  as  she  ushered  him  into  the  cozy  little 
parlor,  that  she  was  Miss  Lizzie  Taylor,  and  pre- 
sumed he  was  Mr.  La  Grange,  with  whom  she  had 
had  so  long  and  so  pleasant  a  correspondence  ;  and  of 
whom  "  poor  Harry,"  as  she  said  with  a  shade  of 
sadness  and  tenderness  in  her  voice,  had  so  often 
written,  before  he  had  made  his  terrible  mistake,  and 
become  a  wanderer. 

After  hastily  satisfying  her  that  he  was  the  gen- 
uine La  Grange,  and  profusely  apologizing  for  his 
not  having  written  for  so  long  a  time  previous  to  his 


634  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

arrival  at  Chicago,  from  Cheyenne,  he  took  up  the 
thread  she  had  dropped,  as  quickly  as  possible,  and 
said  that  he  felt  sure  that  Harry  would  retrieve 
himself  soon,  and  return  the  money,  as  he  had 
no  bad  habits,  and  everything  would  be  all  right 
again. 

"  But  yet,  Mr.  La  Grange,"  she  continued,  "it 
makes  me  shudder  whenever  I  think  of  all  my 
brothers  being  away  off  there  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
among  those  terrible  people  !" 

"  But,  you  must  remember,"  he  replied,  encourag- 
ingly, "  they  are  strong  men,  and  can  well  defend 
themselves  under  any  circumstances." 

"  Harry  is  strong  and  brave,  I  know,"  answered 
Miss  Taylor,  rather  admiringly  ;  "but  brother  Robert 
is  not  fit  for  such  a  life.  Why,  he  is  but  a  boy  yet." 

"  Ah,  a  younger  brother?"  he  thought,  making  a 
mental  note  of  it,  in  order  to  assist  in  shaping  his 
conversation  after  which  he  said  aloud :  "  I  almost 
forgot  to  give  you  this  note ;"  and  he  took  the 
piece  of  envelope  out  of  his  note-book,  as  if  it  had 
been  sacredly  guarded,  and  handed  it  to  her. 

Miss  Taylor  read  the  hastily  written  lines  with 
evident  emotion  ;  and  after  studying  a  moment,  as  if 
endeavoring  to  reconcile  matters,  while  her  face  was 
being  searchingly  read  by  an  experienced  detective, 
she  rose,  and,  apologizing  to  him  for  the  absence  of 
her  father,  who  was  in  New  York,  on  business,  and  of 
her  mother,  who  was  confined  to  her  apartment,  a 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  635 

confirmed  invalid,  she  asked  to  be  excused  so  as  to 
show  the  note  to  her  mother. 

The  instant  the  door  closed,  my  son  had  seized 
the  album,  which  he  had  located  during  the  preceding 
conversation  ;  and  rapidly  turned  its  leaves  to  assure 
himself  that  he  was  not  treading  on  dangerous 
ground.  He  found  a  half-a-dozen  different  styles  of 
pictures  of  the  Captain,  including  three  of  the  copies 
taken  in  Philadelphia  of  the  original  Atlanta  picture, 
and  felt  reassured  beyond  measure  at  the  lucky  turn 
things  had  taken.  He  would  have  abstracted  one  of 
these,  but  it  was  impossible,  and  had  barely  time  to 
return  the  album  to  the  table,  and  himself  to  his  seat, 
when  he  heard  the  woman's  step  along  the  hall,  and 
in  a  moment  more  she  entered  the  room. 


III. 

GIVING  the  door  a  little  impulsive  slam,  as  she 
closed  it,  Miss  Taylor  at  once  came  to  where  my  son 
was  sitting  upon  the  sofa,  and  seated  herself  beside 
him.  She  said  that  her  mother  was  anxious  beyond 
measure  to  learn  how  and  where  he  had  met  Harry, 
how  he  was  looking,  and  what  he  had  said. 

The  imagination  and  resources  of  the  able  detec- 
tive are  fully  equal  to  those  of  the  most  brilliant 


636  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

newspaper  reporters,  and  a  pleasant  and  plausible 
fiction  was  invented,  how  he  (as  La  Grange,  of 
course),  having  taken  a  run  from  Louisville  down  to 
New  Orleans,  by  boat,  was  just  landing  at  the  levee, 
when  he  suddenly  came  across  Harry,  who  had  hastily 
told  him  all  ;  how  great  had  been  his  transgression, 
how  deeply  he  had  regretted  it ;  but  that  now  he  was 
situated  in  his  business  matters  so  that,  if  let  alone, 
he  would  be  able  to  return  to  Kuhn  Brothers 
every  dollar  which  he  had  taken,  and  have  a  fine 
business  left ;  how  it  had  been  necessary  for  him  to 
come  to  New  Orleans  on  imperative  business,  and 
that  he  should  not  come  east  of  the  Mississippi  again 
under  any  circumstances.  He  further  said,  that 
Harry  seemed  hopeful ;  that  he  had  stated  that  his 
younger  brother  Robert  was  well  and  enjoying  the 
frontier  life ;  and  that,  further  than  that,  he  had  no 
time  or  disposition  to  talk,  as  he  was  on  the  very  eve 
of  departure  for  Texas,  only  having  time  to  write  the 
little  note  concerning  the  photographs. 

Miss  Taylor  excused  herself  for  a  moment  to 
convey  the  truthful  intelligence  to  her  anxious 
mother ;  and  on  her  return  suggested  that  they  go 
through  the  album  together  at  once,  and  attend  to  the 
photographs,  an  invitation  which  was  accepted  with 
unusual  readiness. 

Every  gentleman  who  has  had  the  experience, 
and  there  are  few  who  have  not,  know  that  looking 
over  an  album  with  a  beautiful  woman  who  has  some 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  637 

interest  in  her  companion,  is  a  wonderfully  pleasant 
diversion.  In  this  instance  it  was  doubly  pleasant, 
for  it  meant  success  to  my  son,  whose  zeal  is  as 
untiring  as  my  own  when  once  on  the  trail  of  a 
criminal. 

"  I  wonder  why,"  asked  Miss  Taylor,  as  if 
wondering  as  much  about  Mr.  La  Grange  as  about 
any  other  subject ;  "  I  wonder  why  Harry  desires  those 
photographs  destroyed  ?" 

He  was  turning  the  leaves  for  her  and,  as  La 
Grange,  of  course,  had  a  perfect  right  to  take  plenty 
of  time  to  explain  the  matter  soothingly  and  sympa- 
thetically. 

"  But  do  those  horrid  detectives  track  a  man  out 
and  run  him  down,  when,  if  he  were  let  alone,  he 
might  recover  from  his  misfortune,  and  right  the 
wrong  he  has  done  ?" 

Mr.  La  Grange  remarked  that  he  had  heard  that 
some  of  them  were  very  much  lacking  in  sentiment 
and  sensibility,  and  would  go  right  forward  through 
the  very  fire  itself  to  trace  the  whereabouts  of  a  crimi- 
nal ;  and  all  those  little  things  helped,  he  could  assure 
her. 

She  began  to  see  how  it  was,  she  said ;  but  sud- 
denly firing  up,  she  shook  her  pretty  fist  at  some  im- 
aginary person,  exclaiming : 

"  Oh,  I  could  kill  the  man  who  would  thus  dog 
my  brother  Harry."  And  then,  after  a  little  April 
shower  of  tears,  quite  like  any  other  woman's  way  of 


638  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

showing  how  very  desperate  they  can  be  under 
certain  circumstances,  began  slowly  taking  the  Cap- 
tain's pictures  from  the  album,  commenting  upon 
them,  and  then  handing  them  to  the  bogus  La  Grange 
to  burn,  who  would  occasionally  step  to  the  fire-place 
for  that  purpose,  where  he  would  quickly  substitute 
miscellaneous  business  cards,  which  answered  the  pur- 
pose excellently. 

An  hour  or  two  was  passed  with  Miss  Taylor  in 
conversation  upon  various  topics  which  might  lead 
the  really  estimable  young  lady  to  divulge  all  she 
knew  about  the  Captain,  or  concerning  his  where- 
abouts and  business,  which  was  certainly  not  much. 

It  appeared  that,  immediately  after  the  embezzle- 
ment, and  while  at  St.  Louis,  Taylor  had  telegraphed 
to  his  brother  Robert  to  meet  him  at  New  Orleans  at 
a  certain  time,  as  he  was  going  into  business  in  that 
section,  and  should  need  his  services,  for  which  he 
would  be  able  to  pay  him  handsomely  ;  the  brothers 
had  met  there  and  had  proceeded  to  some  other 
point ;  the  Captain  claiming  that  it  would  be 
injudicious  to  make  that  fact  known,  as  he  had  also 
sent  a  full  and  complete  confession  to  his  parents 
of  his  embezzlement  from  Kuhn  Brothers,  which  he 
had  directed  them  to  burn,  and  which  he  finished  by 
requesting  his  family  not  to  write  to  either  himself 
or  his  brother  for  some  time  to  come ;  or  at  least 
until  he  should  indicate  to  them  that  it  would  be  safe 
to  do  so ;  and  under  no  circumstances  to  give  any 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  639 

person  an  iota  of  information  concerning  himself  or 
his  brother. 

My  son  left  Miss  Taylor's  hospitable  home  with 
a  pang  of  regret  for  the  deception  which  had  seemed 
necessary  in  this  case  ;  for  whatever  may  be  the 
opinion  of  the  public  regarding  the  matter,  a  detect- 
ive has  often  quite  as  large  and  compassionate  a 
soul  as  men  of  other  and  apparently  more  high-toned 
professions. 

So  long  as  intelligent  crime  is  the  result  of  a  high 
standard  of  mental  culture  and  a  low  standard  of 
moral  conscience — conditions  which  now  exist  and 
have  for  some  years  existed — intelligent  minds  must 
be  trained  to  battle  criminals  with  their  own  weapons ; 
and  these  two  questions,  of  speedy  detection  of  crime 
and  swift  punishment  of  criminals  will  be  found  quite 
as  essential  to  a  preservation  of  law  and  society  as 
lofty  arguments  or  high  moral  dissertations  on  the 
right  or  wrong  of  the  expediencies  necessary  to 
bring  wrong-doers  to  immediate  and  certain  jus- 
tice. 

As  soon  as  I  had  received  a  full  telegraphic  re- 
port of  the  success  of  the  Philadelphia  experiment,  I 
directed  him  to  proceed  to  Louisville,  where  he  would 
be  met  by  operative  Keating,  from  Chicago,  who 
would  bring  letters  of  introduction  from  myself  to 
Colonel  Wood,  commanding  the  First  Infantry  at 
New  Orleans ;  Captain  White,  chief  of  the  detective 
force  of  that  city ;  General  Canby,  commanding  the 


640  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

Department  of  Texas,  at  Austin ;  Col.  Hunt,  Chief 
Quartermaster  of  the  Department  of  Texas,  and 
other  army  officers,  requesting  them  to  render  my 
son  and  his  assistant  any  aid  in  their  power  should 
the  necessity  for  such  assistance  arise ;  the  requisition 
from  Governor  Foulke,  of  Dakotah  Territory,  for 
Henry  G.  Taylor,  upon  Governor  Pease,  of  Texas, 
and  general  instructions  concerning  his  conduct  of  the 
search  for  the  handsome  captain  after  he  had  got 
beyond  mail  and  telegraphic  communication. 

I  was  sending  him  into  a  country  which  was  at 
that  time  in  many  portions  utterly  unsafe  for  the 
securing  of  a  criminal  should  the  pursuer's  mission 
become  known,  so  as  to  allow  the  person  desired  time 
to  apprise  his  friends  of  his  danger,  or  give  him  even 
an  opportunity  to  rally  any  number  of  acquaintances 
for  defense  ;  for  the  reason  that,  as  Texas  had  become 
a  sort  of  refuge  for  ruffians,  they  became  clannish 
through  the  general  peril  of  being  pursued  each  ex- 
perienced ;  and  would,  as  a  rule,  on  the  slightest  prov- 
ocation, assist  in  the  rescue  of  any  person  under  ar- 
rest, not  knowing  how  soon  it  might  be  their  turn  to 
cry  for  help  ;  but  I  have  invariably  sent  my  sons  into 
danger  with  the  same  expectation  that  they  would  do 
their  duty  regardless  of  consequences,  as  I  have  had 
when  sending  other  men's  sons  into  danger.  Happily 
I  have  never  mistaken  their  metal ;  and,  in  this  in- 
stance, felt  sure  that  I  could  rely  upon  him  to  exercise 
both  discretion  and  intrepidity  in  exigencies  to  which 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  641 

his  long  experience  and  careful  training  have  at  all 
times  made  him  equal. 

The  two  detectives  met  in  Louisville,  and  at  once 
proceeded  to  New  Orleans,  where  they  arrived  early 
in  the  morning  of  the  yth  of  January,  1868,  and  were 
driven  to  the  St.  Charles  Hotel.  No  time  was  lost ; 
and  while  my  son  presented  his  letters  to  different 
parties,  and  made  cautious  inquiries  regarding  the  re- 
cent appearance  in  New  Orleans  of  Taylor,  Keating, 
in  the  character  of  a  provincial  merchant,  investigated 
as  far  as  possible  the  business  houses  dealing  in  stock, 
leather,  or  wool,  as  to  whether  any  such  person  had 
made  arrangement  for  consignments  from  the  interior 
or  seaport  Texan  cities.  No  trace  of  their  man  was 
found,  however,  until  my  son  was  able  to  get  at  the 
register  of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel  for  the  preceding 
three  months,  which  was  attended  with  some  difficulty, 
on  account  of  the  crowded  condition  of  things  at  that 
house  ;  and  any  detective,  or  other  expert,  will  under- 
stand how  much  time  and  patience  are  required  to 
discover  one  signature  from  among  ten  thousand, 
when  that  one  may  be  an  assumed  name,  and  perhaps 
five  hundred  of  the  ten  thousand  be  so  similar  to  the 
one  sought,  that  a  disinterested  person  could  scarcely 
be  convinced  it  was  really  not  the  person's  handwrit- 
ing desired ;  but  after  a  good  deal  of  trouble  and 
searching,  the  names  of  "  H.  G.  Taylor  &  clerk," 
were  discovered  on  the  last  half  line  at  the  bottom  of 
a  page  under  date  of  November  3<Dthr  1867,,  which, 
41 


642  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

by  constant  wear  and  thumbing  in  turning  pages,  had 
been  nearly  defaced,  but  which,  in  his  handwriting, 
beyond  a  doubt  told  the  story  of  their  presence. 

Further  inquiry  of  the  clerk  on  duty  at  that  time, 
and  with  his  memory  refreshed  by  a  glance  at 
Taylor's  photographs,  developed  the  facts  that  he  had 
certainly  been  at  the  St.  Charles  on  the  date  shown 
by  the  register,  and  that  he  was  accompanied  by  a 
young  man  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  who  was  re- 
cognized as  Taylor's  clerk. 

The  peculiar  register  then  kept  at  the  St.  Charles 
Hotel  in  New  Orleans  was  also  instrumental  in  as- 
sisting the  detectives.  It  gave  the  guest's  name,  re- 
sidence, hour  of  arrival,  and  hour  of  departure,  with 
name  of  conveyance  at  arrival  and  departure,  in  the 
following  manner : 

H.  G.  Taylor  and  Clerk,  \  Mobile,  \  12  m.  \  Ped. 
2  Dec.  |  7  a.  m.  \  'Bus. 

This  told  anybody  curious  about  the  matter  that 
H.  G.  Taylor  and  clerk,  assuming  to  reside  in  Mouile, 
arrived  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  New  Orleans,  at 
noon  on  Saturday,  the  thirtirth  day  of  November, 
1867,  either  afoot  or  by  some  mode  of  conveyance 
unknown  to  the  clerk  of  the  house,  and  that  they  left 
the  house  in  an  omnibus  at  seven  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  third  day  following. 

Naturally  the  next  inquiries  were  directed  to  as- 
certaining to  what  boat  or  railroad  lines  omnibuses 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  643 

could  be  ordered  at  that  hour  of  the  morning ;  if  to 
different  ones,  then  to  discover  who  had  driven  the 
particular  omnibus  which  conveyed  Taylor  and  his 
brother  from  the  hotel  ;  and  then  make  an  effort  to 
learn  to  what  point  they  had  been  conveyed.  This, 
however,  proved  less  difficult  than  had  been  feared  ; 
for  it  was  found  that  on  the  morning  in  question  the 
omnibus  had  gone  from  the  hotel  to  but  one  point, 
and  that  was  to  the  ferry  connecting  with  Berwick 
Bay  route,  by  the  New  Orleans  and  Opelousas  Rail- 
road and  the  Gulf,  to  Galveston,  although  a  large 
number  of  passengers  had  been  booked,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  ascertain  whether  Taylor  and  his  brother 
had  actually  gone  that  route  or  not,  though  every- 
thing was  in  favor  of  that  presumption. 

The  death  of  General  Rosseau  had  caused  quite 
a  commotion  in  New  Orleans,  and  it  seemed  a  pretty 
hard  matter  to  get  anything  further  of  a  definite 
character  in  that  place ;  and  I  therefore  instructed 
my  son  and  detective  Keating  to  proceed  slowly  to 
Galveston,  stopping  at  Brashear  City,  where  Taylor 
might  have  diverged, — supposing  he  had  taken  that 
route  with  the  other  passengers  from  New  Orleans, — 
and  to  particularly  search  passenger  lists  aboard  any 
lines  of  boats,  and  all  hotel  registers,  before  arriving 
at  Galveston,  so  as  to  have  the  work  done  thoroughly 
nearest  the  base  of  operation  ;  as  I  knew  that  for  any 
party  to  get  on  the  wrong  scent  in  that  vast  state, 
thinly  settled  as  it  was,  with  no  means  of  quickly  con- 


644  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

veying  needful  intelligence,  was  to  enter  upon  both  a 
needless  waste  of  money  for  my  patrons,  and  an  ob- 
jectless and  wearying  struggle  against  insurmountable 
obstacles  for  my  detectives,  whom,  whatever  may  be 
said  to  the  contrary,  I  have  never  in  a  single  instance 
needlessly  or  injudiciously  exposed  to  privation  or 
danger. 

In  Brashear  conductors  of  trains  were  applied 
to ;  the  hotel  and  omnibus  men  were  questioned,  the 
postmaster  was  appealed  to,  and  even  the  passenger- 
lists  of  the  boats  which  had  been  in  port,  and  to 
which  they  were  able  to  gain  access  for  a  period  of 
three  months,  had  been  searched  in  vain.  Every 
trace  of  the  man  seemed  lost ;  and  I  was  appealed  to 
for  a  decision  as  to  whether  they  should  proceed  to 
Galveston  by  boat,  with  the  presumption  that  Taylor 
had  taken  passage  under  an  assumed  name,  or  take  a 
few  days'  trip  up  along  the  line  of  the  New  Orleans 
and  Opelousas  Railroad  and  seek  for  information 
of  their  man  at  different  points  through  Central 
Louisiana. 

I  decided  on  the  former  course,  and  they  accord- 
ingly embarked  from  Brashear  immediately  after  the 
receipt  of  my  telegram  of  instructions,  on  the  hand- 
some steamer  "  Josephine,"  the  only  boat  whose  books 
they  had  had  no  opportunity  of  examining;  and,  hav- 
ing received  my  telegram  but  a  few  minutes  before  the 
steamer  left,  were  obliged  to  do  some  lively  running 
to  reach  it ;  for,  in  anticipation  of  a  message  from  me 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  645 

to  take  that  route,  my  son  had  directed  Keating  to  set- 
tle the  hotel  bill,  and  with  both  valises  in  hand  wait  at 
a  convenient  corner,  where,  should  William  receive 
a  dispatch  from  me  of  the  character  expected,  within 
a  certain  time,  they  might  yet  make  the  boat. 
Everything  transpiring  as  my  son  had  hoped,  they 
were  just  in  time,  after  a  lively  run,  to  be  hauled  up 
the  gang-plank  by  two  stalwart  negroes,  and  were 
soon  steaming  down  the  bay  and  thence  out  to  sea 


IV. 


As  the  two  ascended  to  the  cabin  they  were  con- 
gratulated by  the  officers  of  the  boat  and  many  of  the 
passengers  on  their  graceful  and  expeditious  board- 
ing of  the  steamer ;  and  being  something  of  objects 
of  interest  on  account  of  the  little  incident,  they  con,- 
cluded  not  to  lose  the  opportunity  to  blend  the  good 
feeling  evoked  into  a  thoroughly  pleasant  impression, 
and  consequently  took  the  shortest  way  to  accomplish 
that  desired  end  by  at  once  walking  up  to  the  bar 
where  the  assembled  gentlemen,  to  a  man,  apparently 
in  compliance  to  general  custom,  seemed  to  under- 
stand that  they  had  been  invited  before  a  word  had 
been  uttered  by  either  of  the  detectives,  so  that  when 
my  son  asked,  "  Gentlemen,  won't  you  join  us  ?"  it 


646  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

was   an   entirely  superfluous  request ;  for  on  either 
side,  behind,  and  extending  a  solid  phalanx  beyond, 
the   "  gentlemen  "  had  already  joined  and  were  de- 
scribing  the   particular   liquor   that    in   their   minds 
would  do  honor  to  the  occasion  in  the  most  lively  and 
familiar  manner  possible,  and  interspersing  their  de- 
mands  upon    the  leisurely  bar-keeper  with  such  re- 
marks as  "  Gen'lemen   had  narrow  'scape  ;"  "Gen'le- 
men  made  a  right  smart  run  of  it ;"  "  Gen'lemen  not 
down    from   Norlens  (New  Orleans),   reckon    come 
down  Opelousas  route,"  and  other  similar  comments; 
but  invariably  prefacing  each  and  every  remark  with 
the  stereotyped  word  "  Gen'lemen,"  which  men  were, 
without  exception,  assumed  to  be  in  that  country  at 
that  time,  at  least  in  conversation  ;  as  any  neglect  to 
preface  a  remark  with  the  word  laid  one  liable  to  be- 
come immediately  engaged  in  a  discussion  regarding 
the  propriety  of  the  use  of  the  term,  behind  navy  re- 
volvers, rifles,  double-barreled  shot-guns,  or  any  other 
available  pointed  or  forcible  means  of  argument. 

After  the  thirst  of  the  crowd,  which  upon  a  Gulf- 
coasting  steamer  is  something  terrible  to  contemplate, 
had  been  in  a  measure  assuaged,  my  son  excused  him- 
self, and  with  Keating  repaired  to  the  office,  remark- 
ing to  the  clerk : 

"  I  presume  you  would  like  to  transact  a  little 
business  with  us  now  ?" 

"  Any  time  to  suit  your  convenience,"  returned 
the  clerk,  but  getting  at  his  books  with  an  alacrity 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  647 

which  showed  that  he  would  be  a  little  more  willing 
to  attend  to  the  matter  of  fares  then  than  at  any 
other  time. 

William  handed  him  an  amount  of  money  large 
enough  to  pay  for  both  the  fares  of  himself  and  Keat- 
ing from  Brashear  to  Galveston  ;  and,  while  the  clerk 
was  making  change,  said,  by  way  of  getting  into  con- 
versation with  him,  "  I'm  afraid  we're  on  a  fool's 
errand  out  here." 

The  clerk  counted  out  the  change,  inked  his  pen 
to  take  the  names,  and  then  elevating  his  eyebrows, 
although  not  speaking  a  word,  plainly  asked,  ".  Ah, 
how's  that  ?" 

"  Well,  you  see,"  replied  the  detective,  "  we're 
hunting  a  man  that's  had  right  good  luck." 

"He  can't  be  in  these  parts,"  replied  the  clerk, 
with  a  slightly  satirical  smile.  "Names?"  he  then 
asked. 

"  James  A.  Hicks  and  Patrick  Mallory." 
'  "  Where  from  ?"  . 

"  Pittsburgh 

"  Which  is  which  ?"  asked  the  clerk,  in  a  business 
tone  of  voice. 

"  I  am  Hicks,  and  that  pretty  smart-looking  Irish- 
man by  the  baggage-room  is  Mallory,"  was  the  re- 
ply. 

"  Your  age  and  weight  ?"  asked  the  clerk  mechan- 
ically, at  the  same  time  looking  at  my  son  keenly,  and 
getting  the  rest  of  his  description  at  a  glance. 


648  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

These  questions  were  properly  answered,  and  as 
the  clerk  was  noting  them  he  asked,  "  Might  I  ask 
what  was  the  gentleman's  good  luck  ?" 

"  Certainly  ;  he  has  fallen  heir  to  a  coal  mine  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  we  are  endeavoring  to  hunt  him 
up  for  the  executors  of  the  estate." 

"  Ah  ?"  said  the  clerk,  driving  away  with  his  pen  ; 
"will  you  be  so  good  as  to  ask  Mr.  Mallory  to  step 
this  way  ?" 

My  son  stepped  up  to  Keating  and  remarked 
aloud,  "  Mr.  Mallory,  Mr.  Mallory,  the  clerk  would 
like  to  see  you  ;"  and  then  as  Keating  stepped  to  his 
side,  remarked  as  if  for  his  better  information,  "  He 
knows  your  name  is  Patrick  Mallory  and  that  we  are 
from  Pittsburg,  hunting  Taylor,  so  he  can  come  home 
and  enjoy  the  property  the  old  man  left  him ;  but  he 
wants  your  entire  description." 

"  Quite  so,"  said  the  quick-witted  irishman, 
dryly. 

"You've  got  me,  now,"  said  Keating,  winking 
familiarly  at  the  clerk,  "when  we  came  over  we  went 
under  ;  and  so  many  of  us  was  lost  that  those  saved 
wasn't  worth  mendin'  as  to  age,  ye  see ;  but  concern- 
ing heft,  why  I'd  not  fear  to  say  I'd  turn  an  honest 
scale  at  a  hundred  an'  sixty." 

The  clerk  smiled,  but  concluded  not  to  ask  Mr. 
Mallory  from  Pittsburg  any  more  questions. 

As  soon  as  he  had  made  his  notes,  however,  Wil- 
liam told  him  that  he  had  examined  the  lists  of  all 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  649 

other  boats  plying  between  Brashear  and  Galveston, 
save  those  of  the  "Josephine,"  and  requested  him  to 
look  through  them,  concluding  by  describing  Taylor, 
and  stating  that  he  might  register  either  as  H.  G. 
Taylor  and  clerk,  or  under  an  assumed  name,  as  he 
was  somewhat  erratic,  and  through  family  troubles, 
not  necessary  to  explain,  he  had  got  into  a  habit  of 
occasionally  traveling  incognito. 

The  clerk  readily  complied  with  his  request,  scan- 
ning the  pages  closely,  and  repeating  the  name  mus- 
ingly as  if  endeavoring  to  recall  where  he  had  heard 
it.  By  the  time  he  had  got  on  with  the  examination 
of  a  few  pages,  William  had  selected  a  photograph  of 
Taylor,  and  on  showing  it  to  the  clerk  the  latter 
seemed  to  have  a  certain  recollection  of  having  seen 
him,  but  a  very  uncertain  recollection  as  to  where,  or 
under  what  circumstances.  He  went  on  repeating 
the  name,  however,  turning  back  the  pages  with  his 
right  hand  and  tracing  the  names  back  and  forthwith 
the  index  finger  of  his  left  hand,  occasionally  looking 
at  the  photograph  as  if  to  assist  in  forcing  a  definite 
recollection,  but  without  any  result  for  so  long  a  time 
that  Messrs.  Hill  and  Mallory  of  Pittsburg  became 
satisfied  that  their  last  hope  before  arriving  at  Gal- 
veston was  gone,  when  suddenly  the  clerk  carelessly 
placed  the  picture  beside  a  certain  name  and  in  a 
manner  very  similar  to  a  dry-goods  clerk  on  securing 
a  successful  "  match,"  in  two  pieces  of  cloth,  quietly 
remarked : 


650  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

4 

"  Yes,  can't  be  mistaken.  There  you  are  ;  I've 
got  him." 

"  Then  weve  got  him  !"  exclaimed  my  son,  in  the 
excess  of  his  gratification,  shaking  the  hand  of  Mr. 
Mallory,  from  Pittsburg. 

"  It's  a  joy,"  said  the  latter,  beaming. 

"  Think  of  the  immense  property !"  continued  my 
son. 

"And  the  surprise  to  his  friends!"  murmured 
Keating. 

"  The  surprise  to  himself,  I  should  say,"  interrupt- 
ed the  clerk. 

"  Quite  so,"  said  Mr.  Keating. 

It  appeared  that  Taylor  and  his  brother  had 
missed  one  or  two  boats  at  Brashear  from  some  cause, 
but  had  finally  taken  passage  on  the  "Josephine," 
November  7th ;  and  as  the  detectives  had  not  been 
able  to  ascertain  whether  the  "Josephine"  had  carried 
the  fugitives  or  not,  on  account  of  her  being  belated 
by  adverse  weather,  and  was  now  returning  to  Gal- 
veston,  after  having  had  barely  time  to  touch  at  Bra- 
shear,  they  had  felt  that  perhaps  they  might  be  upon 
the  wrong  trail,  which,  with  unknown  adventures 
before  them,  had  been  peculiarly  discouraging  ;  so 
that  now,  when  they  ascertained  that  his  apprehension 
was  only  a  question  of  time  and  careful  work,  they 
could  not  repress  their  gratification. 

Nothing  further  worthy  of  note  transpired  on  the 
voyage  from  Brashear  to  Galveston,  save  that  the 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  651 

trip  was  a  pretty  rough  one,  and  they  finally  arrived 
in  the  latter  city,  hopeful  and .  encouraged,  notwith- 
standing the  unusually  dismal  weather,  which  seemed 
to  consist  of  one  disconnected  but  never-ending 
storm,  the  "  oldest  inhabitants  "  of  the  place  contend- 
ing with  great  earnestness  that  "  it  'peared  like's  they'd 
never  had  nothin'  like  it  befoah  !"  „ 

Arriving  in  Galveston  early  Sunday  morning, 
they  went  to  the  Exchange  Hotel,  and  after  break- 
fast set  about  examining  the  hotel  registers  of  the 
place,  ascertaining  that  Taylor  and  brother  had  been 
in  the  city,  stopped  a  day  or  two,  and  then,  so  far  as 
could  be  learned,  had  gone  on  to  Houston.  They 
were  satisfied  he  had  made  no  special  efforts  to  cover 
his  tracks,  although  he  had  not  made  himself  at  all 
conspicuous,  as  the  difficulty  encountered  in  getting 
those  who  would  be  most  likely  to  recollect  him,  to 
recollect  him  at  all,  clearly  showed  ;  and  it  was  quite 
evident  that  he  had  not  anticipated  pursuit,  at  least 
of  any  nature  which  he  could  not  easily  compromise, 
and  intended  going  into  some  legitimate  business 
under  his  own  name,  and  with  his  brother's  assist- 
ance. 

Before  he  could  be  arrested  in  Texas,  however,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  secure  Governor  Pease's  war- 
rant, which  obliged  a  long,  tedious  trip  to  Austin,  the 
capital  of  the  State  ;  nearly  the  whole  distance  having 
to  be  done  by  stage,  which  at  that  time  seemed  a  for- 
bidding piece  of  work,  as  it  had  rained  every  day  of 


652  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

the  year,  so  far ;  and  it  might  be  a  question  of  helping 
the  stage  through  rather  than  being  helped  through 
by  it.  Besides  this,  according  to  my  son's  reports, 
which  gave  a  true  description  of  things  in  Texas  at 
that  time,  everything  beyond  Houston  had  to  be  paid 
for  in  gold,  as  sectional  sentiment  and  counterfeiting 
had  pronounced  a  ban  upon  greenbacks,  and  not  only 
in  gold,  but  at  exorbitant  prices ;  hotel  rates  being 
five  dollars  per  day  ;  single  meals  from  one  to  two 
dollars ;  railroad  fares  eight  cents  per  mile,  and  stage 
rates  nearly  double  that  amount ;  with  no  assurance 
that  you  would  ever  reach  a  destination  you  had  paid 
to  be  conveyed  to ;  all  attended  by  various  kinds  of 
danger,  among  which  was  the  pleasant  reflection  that 
you  might  be  called  upon  at  any  time  to  contribute 
to  the  benefit  of  that  noble  relic  of  chivalry,  the  Ku 
Klux  Klan,  who  at  that  day  were  particularly  busy  in 
Texas. 

All  of  these  pleasant  considerations  made  the 
departure  from  Galveston  for  Austin,  in  a  Pickwickian 
sense,  unusually  agreeable. 

At  Houston  they  discovered  from  different 
persons,  including  the  postmaster,  that  Taylor  had 
been  there,  but  had  made  inquiries  about  points 
further  up  country  ;  and  the  general  impression  was 
that  he  had  gone  on,  though  at  Brenham,  the 
terminus  of  the  railroad,  where  they  arrived  Monday 
evening,  they  could  find  no  trace  of  him. 

The  next  morning,  when  my  son  arose  and  looked 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  653 

on  the  vast  sea  of  mud, — a  filthy,  black  earth  below  ; 
a  dirty,  black  sky  above  ;  with  nothing  but  driving 
rain  and  wintry  gusts  between  ;  while  the  lackadaisical 
Texans  slouched  about  with  their  hands  in  their 
pockets,  with  only  energy  enough  to  procure  tobacco 
or  "  licker ;"  their  sallow  faces,  down-at-the-heels, 
snuff-dipping  wives  desolately  appearing  at  the  doors 
and  windows,  only  to  retire  again  with  a  woe-begone 
expression  of  suspended  animation  in  their  leathery 
faces, — he  fully  realized  the  force  of  the  remark 
attributed  to  General  Sheridan,  and  more  expressive 
than  polite  :  "  If  I  owned  Texas  and  hell,  I  would  live 
in  hell  and  sell  Texas !" 

The  stage  was  crowded,  however,  and  the  dreary 
conveyance  splashed  and  crunched  on  until  noon, 
when  dinner  was  taken  at  Wilson's  Ranche,  a  long, 
low,  rambling,  tumbledown  structure,  which,  like  its 
owner,  who  had  at  one  time  been  a  "General"  of 
something,  and  now  retained  the  thriving  title  out  of 
compliment  to  his  departed  glory,  had  gone  to  a 
genteel  decay  with  a  lazy  ease  worthy  of  its  master's 
copy.  The  dinner  was  one  long  to  be  remembered 
by  the  detectives,  as  it  was  their  first  genuine  Texan 
dinner,  and  consisted  merely  of  fat  boiled  pork,  and 
hot  bread  of  the  consistence  of  putty  cakes  of  the 
same  dimensions,  which,  when  broken  open  after 
a  mighty  effort,  disclosed  various  articles  of 
household  furniture,  such  as  clay  pipes,  old  knife 
handles,  and  various  other  invoices,  probably  playfully 


654  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

dumped  into  the  flour  barrel  by  some  one  of  the  half- 
score  of  tow-headed,  half-clad  children,  which  the 
•"  General"  and  his  buxom  helpmeet  had  seen  fit  to 
provide  for  torturing  another  generation  with  rare 
Texan  dinners  at  a  dollar  "a  plate. 

It  was  an  all-day's  labor  getting  to  La  Grange, 
but  thirty-five  miles  from  Brenham,  where  they 
arrived  at  ten  o'clock,  tired  and  exhausted  from -the 
day's  banging  about  in  the  stage  and  out  of  it,  for 
they  were  obliged  to  walk  many  times  in  order  to  rest 
the  jaded  horses  so  that  they  could  get  through  to 
La  Grange  at  all ;  but  before  retiring  made  all  the 
inquiries  necessary  to  develop  the  fact  that  their  man 
had  not  been  at  that  point. 

The  next  day,  Wednesday,  was  rather  more  try- 
ing than  the  previous  one.  Two  miles  out  of  town 
the  stage  got  "bogged,"  and  the  entire  load  of  pas- 
sengers were  obliged  to  get  out  and  walk  through 
three  miles  of  swamps,  the  stage  finally  sticking  fast, 
necessitating  prying  it  out  with  rails.  After  this 
Slough  of  Despond  was  passed,  the"  Colorado  river 
had  to  be  forded  three  times,  and  then  came  a  "  dry 
run,"  which  now,  with  every  other  ravine  or  depres- 
sion, had  .became  a  "wet  run,"  and  was  "a  booming" 
as  the  drunken  driver  termed  it  between  oaths.  There 
was  at  least  four  feet  of  water  in  the.  dry  run,  and 
the  horses  balking,  the  buckskin  argument  was 
applied  to  them  so  forcibly  that  they  gave  a  sud- 
den start,  and  broke  the  pole  off  short,  which  further 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  655 

complicated  matters.     My   son,   being  on   the   box, 
sprang  to  the  assistance   of  the  driver,  and  stepping 
down  upon  the  stub  of  the  pole,  quickly  unhitched 
the   wheel  horses,    so  that    the  stage    could    not  be 
overturned,    and    then   disengaged  the    head  team, 
finally  appropriating  a  heavy  wheel  horse,  with  which 
he   rode  back  to  Keating,  who  was  perched  upon  a 
rear  wheel  to  keep  out  of  the  water,  which  was  rush- 
ing and  seething  below,  sweeping  through  the  bottom 
of  the  stage,  and  at  every  moment   seeming  to  have 
lifted  the  vehicle  preparatory  to  sweeping  it  away  like 
feathers,  and  also  holding  on  to  the  baggage,  which 
he  had  got  safely  upon  the   roof  of  the  stage ;  and, 
taking  him  aboard  his  improvised  ferry,  after  securing 
the  valises,  rode  to  the    muddy  shore,  forming  with 
his  companions  about  as  fine  a  picture  of  despairing 
"  carpet-baggers  "  as  the  South  has  ever  on  any  occa- 
sion been  able  to  produce.     The  bedraggled  passen- 
gers ascertained  that  the  next  town,  Webberville,  was 
several   miles  distant,  and   that  there  was  no  house 
nearer,  save  on  the  other  side  of  the  rapidly  rising 
stream ;  and   as  night  had   come  on,  the  best   thing 
that  could  be  done  was  to  penetrate  the  woods,  build 
a  rousing  fire,  and  shiver  and  shiver  through  as  long, 
wet  and  weary  a  night  as  was  ever  experienced. 

There  was  never  a  more  longed-for  morning  than 
the  next  one,  and  the  moment  that  the  sickly  light 
came  feebly  through  the  mist  and  rain,  and  straggled 
into  the  dense  cotton-wood  trees,  where  the  discour- 


656  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

aged  passengers  had  a  sort  of  fervent  out-doors 
prayer-meeting,  they  started  forward  for  Webberville, 
hungry,  drenched,  and  so  benumbed  as  to  be  scarcely 
able  to  walk.  It  was  five  miles  into  town,  but  one 
mile  of  that  distance  stretched  over  a  quagmire  known 
and  described  in  that  section  as  "  Hell's  half-acre ;" 
and  the  truthful  inhabitants  of  Webberville  related 
of  this  delectable  ground  that  during  the  rainy  season 
its  powers  of  absorption  were  so  great  that  it  would 
even  retain  the  gigantic  Texan  mosquito,  should  it 
happen  to  take  a  seat  there. 

This  bog  was  impassable  to  the  travelers,  who 
finally  bartered  with  the  owner  of  a  hog  wagon  to  be 
carried  over  the  marsh  for  a  silver  half  dollar  each. 
This  was  far  better  than  remaining  on  the  other  side, 
and  they  finally  trudged  into  the  town  more  dead 
than  alive. 

Fortunately  for  the  detectives,  the  brother  of 
ex-Governor  Lubbock,  of  Texas,  was  one  of  the  party, 
and  as  they  had  all  become  so  thoroughly  acquainted, 
as  common  misery  will  quickly  make  travelers,  he 
took  my  son  and  Keating  to  the  residence  of  Colonel 
Banks,  a  merchant  of  Webberville,  whose  good  wife 
never  rested  until  she  had  provided  the  party  with  a 
splendid  meal,  something  with  which  to  wash  it  down, 
and  beds  which  seemed  to  them  all  to  have  been  com- 
posed of  down. 

After  they  had  a  good  rest,  the  passengers  for 
Austin  were  got  together,  and  explained  the  situation 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  657 

of  things.  The  creek  the  other  side  of  Webberville 
was  a  mighty  river.  The  driver  thought  he  could 
possibly  get  the  stage  across,  but  was  certain  he 
could  not  do  so  with  any  passengers  or  baggage  to 
make  it  drag  more  heavily  ;  but  he  thought  that  if 
once  on  the  other  side,  they  might  get  to  Austin  the 
same  day.  William  was  anxious  to  push  ahead,  and 
looking  about  town  discovered  a  rather  venturesome 
negro  who  owned  a  monstrous  mule,  and  at  once 
entered  into  negotations  with  him  for  the  transfer  of 
the  party  and  baggage,  sink  or  swim.  So  when  the 
stage  arrived  at  the  creek,  the  baggage  was  unloaded, 
and  the  stage  successfully  forded  the  stream.  But  as 
the  water  covered  so  broad  an  expanse,  was  so  deep 
and  rapid,  and  altogether  presented  such  a  forbidding 
appearance,  the  passengers  refused  to  try  the  mule  ex- 
periment unless  William,  who  had  proposed  the  mode 
of  transfer,  and  had  secured  the  novel  ferry,  which 
stood  with  the  grinning  negro  upon  its  back  ready  for 
passengers,  would  first  cross  the  Rubicon  to  demon- 
strate the  convenience  and  safety  of  the  passage.  So, 
handing  the  captain  one  of  the  valises,  he  mounted  the 
mule,  which  after  a  few  whirls,  a  little  "  bucking," 
several  suspicious  sidewise  movements,  and  a  shouted 
"  Ya-a-oop,  da,  Dani-el  !— done  quit  dis  heyah  foolish- 
ness !"  plunged  into  the  current  without  further 
ceremony. 

The  passengers  saw  that  Dani-el  and  his  master 
were  up  to  a    thing  or  two  in   that  section  of  the 
42 


658  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

country  ;  and  after  seeing  Keating  cross  the  stream 
in  safety  also,  they  one  by  one  ventured  upon  the 
transfer,  which  was  finished  without  accident,  but  with 
a  good  deal  of  merriment ;  and  the  colored  clown 
paid  even  beyond  his  contract  price,  the  stage  was 
enabled  to  go  lumbering  on  to  Austin,  where  it  ar- 
rived at  a  late  hour  of  the  same  day. 


V. 


RAIN,  drizzle  and  mist ;  mist,  drizzle  and  rain. 
It  seemed  all  that  the  country  was  capable  of  produc- 
ing ;  and  the  same  preface  to  the  befogged  condition 
of  the  English  chancery  courts  used  by  Dickens,  in 
his  introduction  to  "  Bleak  House,"  with  a  few  of  the 
localisms  expunged,  would  have  fitly  applied  to  the 
condition  of  things  in  Texas,  which  afterward  culmi- 
nated in  a  flood  which  swept  everything  before  it. 

In  Austin — though  the  seat  of  the  State  govern- 
ment and  the  headquarters  of  the  military  depart- 
ment of  Texas,  full  of  legislators,  lobbyists,  officers 
and  soldiers,  everything  had  the  appearance  of  having 
been  through  a  washing  that  had  lasted  an  age,  and 
had  been  prematurely  wrung  out  to  dry,  but  had  been 
caught  on  the  lines  by  an  eternal  rain  day.  Involun- 
tarily, with  the  spatters  and  dashes  of  rain  and  the 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  659 

morning  wind,  Longfellow's  "  Rainy  Day  "  came  drift- 
ing into  the  mind,  and  the  lines : 

"  The  day  is  cold  and  dark  and  dreary  ; 
It  rains,  and  the  wind  is  never  weary  ; 
The  vine  still  clings  to  the  mouldering  wall, 
While  at  very  gust  the  dead  leaves  fall. 
And  the  day  is  dark  and  dreary  !" 

were  never  more  appropriate  than  when  applied  to 
any  portion  of  Texas  during  the  months  of  January 
and  February,  1868. 

The  very  first  man  my  son  met  in  the  office  of  the 
hotel,  the  next  morning,  was  a  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature from  Besar  county,  who,  hearing  his  inquiries 
of  the  clerk  concerning  Taylor,  informed  him  that  he 
had  been  introduced  to  him  in  San  Antonio  a  few 
weeks  previous  ;  that  he  was  in  company  with  a  much 
younger  man  whom  he  represented  as  his  brother, 
and  that  he  had  ostensibly  come  to  San  Antonio  to 
make  some  inquiries  concerning  the  hide  and  wool 
trade ;  but  whether  with  an  idea  of  settling  at  that 
point,  or  whether  he  could  yet  be  found  in  San  An- 
tonio, he  was  unable  to  state. 

In  any  event  this  was  cheering  news ;  for  it  as- 
sured my  detectives  that  their  long  and  weary  search 
would  not  prove  unavailing ;  and  William  directed 
Keating  to  make  himself  useful  about  the  different 
hotels  and  hide  and  stock  dealers, — as  it  is  a  detec- 
tive's business  to  work  all  the  time,  and  the  slightest 
cessation  of  vigilance  after  the  beginning  of  an  opera- 


660  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

tion  might  at  the  most  unexpected  moment  cause  the 
beginning  of  a  series  of  circumstances  eventually  per- 
mitting a  criminal's  escape, — while  he  himself  sought 
out  General  Potter,  who  escorted  him  to  General 
Canby's  headquarters,  where  he  was  most  cordially 
received,  and  not  only  given  an  order  for  military  aid, 
should  it  be  required,  but  General  Canby  himself 
went  with  him  to  the  capitol  and  introduced  him  to 
Governor  Pease,  vouching  for  the  reliability  of  any 
statement  made  in  connection  with  the  business  which 
had  brought  him  so  far  from  home  ;  as,  while  I  had 
charge  of  the  secret  service  of  the  Government, 
during  the  war,  with  myself  and  sons  had  had  an  in- 
timate acquaintance  with,  and  personal  friendship  for 

• 

him. 

Governor  Pease  frankly  stated  to  William  that 
the  affidavits  were  rather  weak,  and  that  should  some 
of  the  "shysters"  of  that  state,  who  did  a  thriving 
business  in  habeas  corpus  releases,  get  an  inkling  of 
his  business  and  the  nature  of  the  papers,  they  might 
give  him  a  deal  of  trouble,  even  if  they  did  not  get 
his  man  away  from  him  eventually.  He  said  he 
would  make  the  requisition  as  strong  as  possible, 
however,  and  expressed  his  hope  that  the  reputation 
for  ingenuity  in  devising  and  executing  expedients 
possessed  by  Pinkerton's  men  would  be  more  than 
sustained  in  this  instance  ;  and  General  Canby  termi- 
nated the  interview  by  giving  the  document  approval 
over  his  own  signature. 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  66 1 

My  son  thanked  them  both  for  their  kindness, 
and  withdrew,  only  too  anxious  to  get  to  where  his 
man  was  before  any  information  that  he  was  being 
sought  for  should  reach  him,  and  either  scare  him 
beyond  the  Rio  Grande,  or  enable  him  to  act  on  the 
defensive,  as  only  a  man  can  act  who  has  plenty  of 
money,  plenty  of  friends,  and,  as  we  already  knew,  a 
great  plenty  of  bravery  on  his  own  account. 

Soon  after  he  had  returned  to  the  hotel,  Keating 
came  in  with  undoubted  information  that  Taylor  had 
a  permanent  residence  at  or  near  Corpus  Christi ; 
that  either  he  or  his  brother  owned  a  sheep  ranche 
near  the  coast,  not  far  from  that  city,  while  the 
other  dealt  in  hides  and  wool  there ;  and  that  one  or 
the  other  penetrated  into  the  interior  as  far  as  San 
Antonio,  soliciting  consignments. 

My  son  at  once  concluded  that  it  was  the  Captain 
who  had  done  the  dealing,  as  well  as  stealing,  and 
whose  money  and  business  ability  had  been  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  trading  at  Corpus  Christi,  and  upon 
the  ranche  in  the  country  near  it ;  the  brother,  though 
probably  entirely  innocent  of  complicity  in  the  rob- 
bery, or  even  a  knowledge  of  the  source  from  whence 
the  money  had  come,  only  being  used  for  a  con- 
venient repository  for  his  ill-gotten  funds  in  case  of 
Kuhn  Brothers  following  him  before  he  was  ready 
to  meet  them. 

He  therefore  decided  to  get  through  to  Corpus 
Christi  in  the  very  shortest  time  in  which  the  trip 


662  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

could  be  made  vid  New  Braunfels,  San  Antonio,  Vic- 
toria, and  Port  Lavaca,  hoping  that  he  might  be  able 
to  pick  him  up  along  some  portion  of  that  route,  as 
it  was  quite  evident  he  made  frequent  trips  in  that 
direction  ;  and,  at  whatever  point  he  might  be  started, 
should  he  seem  to  be  going  much  farther  into  the 
interior, — which  would  be  improbable,  as  San  An- 
tonio at  that  time  was  quite  a  frontier  city, — arrest 
him  at  once,  and  hurry  him  back  to  Galveston  along 
the  route  he  was  already  familiar  with  ;  but,  should 
he  be  going  toward  the  coast,  to  let  him  take  his  own 
course,  keeping  him  well  in  hand  until  he  had 
reached  Corpus  Christi  or  some  other  seaport  city, 
and,  waiting  a  favorable  opportunity,  arrest  him  and 
get  him  aboard  a  boat  before  he  could  recover  from 
the  surprise. 

Not  a  half  hour  before  they  left  Austin,  he  fortu- 
nately met  Judge  Davis  of  Corpus  Christi,  who  was 
there  attending  some  political  convention,  and  who 
gave  him  a  letter  to  his  law  partner  at  home,  should 
his  services  in  any  way  be  needed,  as  I  had  been  of 
some  service  to  him  on  a  previous  occasion  ;  so  that 
when  my  two  detectives  left  Austin  on  the  seven- 
teenth of  January,  they  felt  perfectly  satisfied  of 
ultimate  success,  though  the  same  terrible  experi- 
ences as  to  staging  were,  again  encountered. 

It  required  the  entire  day  to  traverse  the  few 
miles  between  Austin  and  Blanco  Creek,  where  they 
secured  a  sort  of  a  supper;  the  Onion  Creek  and  its 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  663 

branches  having  been  waded  and  forded  numberless 
times.  At  Manchell  Springs,  the  stage  pole  being 
again  broken,  they  were  only  able  to  proceed  after 
improvising  a  tongue  out  ,of  a  sapling,  chopped  from 
the  roadside  with  a  very  dull  hatchet.  At  Blanco 
Springs  a  good  rest  was  taken,  and  the  driver,  having 
the  day's  experience  in  his  mind,  objected  to  going 
further  that  night ;  but  the  detectives  insisted  that 
they  had  paid  their  money  to  be  taken  to  a  certain 
destination,  and,  as  they  had  shown  a  disposition  to 
more  than  earn  their  passage  besides,  no  excuse  for 
their  detention  should  be  offered. 

After  a  good  deal  of  grumbling,  fresh  horses  were 
got  out,  a  new  pole  put  in  the  stage,  and  the  proces- 
sion again  took  up  its  weary  march  over  the  then 
most  horrible  of  roads,  crossing  the  innumerable 
brooks  and  runs  which  now  pushed  torrents  into 
York's  Creek.  All  night  long'  they  slushed  and 
splashed,  and  tramped  and  cursed  ;  though  the  rain 
had  ceased  for  a  time,  there  was  but  little  light  from 
the  sky,  which  seemed  full  of  black  heavy  clouds 
ready  to  burst  asunder,  to  again  drench  them  and 
swell  the  torrents  afresh.  My  son,  Keating,  and  a 
man  sent  along  from  Blanco  Creek,  "took  turns," 
trudging  along  ahead  of  the  lead-team,  and,  with  lan- 
terns, picked  out  the  way.  Often  they  would  be  mis- 
led where  the  ground  was  so  bad  as  to  almost  defy  a 
passage  over  it,  when  the  patient  animals  behind 
them,  steaming  from  the  toil  of  straining  along  with 


664  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

nothing  but  an  empty  coach,  would  stop,  as  if  guided 
by  a  keener  instinct,  where  they  would  quietly  remain 
until  the  united  search  of  the  three  men  had  discov- 
ered the  road,  when  the  intelligent  creatures  docilely 
plodded  along  again. 

And  so,  through  seemingly  bottomless  quagmires ; 
over  corduroys,  where  the  shaky  ends  of  timbers, 
struck  by  a  horse's  hoof,  would  mercilessly  splash 
those  walking  beside  the  useless  vehicle,  or,  suddenly 
relieved  from  the  weight  of  the  ponderous  wheel, 
would  fly  upwards  to  heave  gallons  of  slime  upon  the 
coach  ;  laboring  around  the  bases  of  far-extending 
mounds  of  sandy  loam  ;  descending  into  unexpected 
and  sometimes  dangerous  depressions,  along,  creeks, 
and  plunging  into  streams,  where  drift  and  changing, 
sandy  bottoms  always  made  it  a  question  whether  the 
coach  could  ever  be  got  across ;  they  marched  only  as 
Sherman  taught  soldiers  to  march,  or  as  honest 
detectives  will  crowd  all  obstacles  between  them- 
selves and  their  duty,  and  came  with  the  gray  of  the 
morning  to  the  beautiful,  forest-shaded  Guadaloupe. 

Fording  this  river  without  nearly  the  trouble 
presented  at  some  of  the  petty  runs  and  creeks 
which  had  been  passed,  they  came  to  New  Braunfels 
with  the  sun,  which  had  shown  itself  for  the  first  time 
since  their  arrival  in  Texas,  and  which  also  shone  up- 
on the  first  city  which  had  shown  any  of  that  wide- 
awake "  go-aheaditiveness  "  and  thrift  so  common  to 
nearly  all  northern  cities. 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  665 

The  reason  that  New  Braunf els  differed  so  materi- 
ally from  the  ordinary  Texan  towns  lay  in  the  fact 
that  it  was  almost  exclusively  settled  by  Germans  ;  and 
it  was  a  welcome  sight  to  the  detectives  to  be  able  to 
enter  a  place  where,  from  suburb  to  center,  up  and 
down  long,  finely-shaded  avenues,  it  was  plain  to  be 
seen  that  the  most  had  been  made  of  everything. 

From  the  pleasantest  cottage  of  the  extreme 
suburb,  and  past  the  more  pretentious  residences, — 
every  home  being  provided  with  an  exterior  bake- 
oven,  the  same  as  in  Germany,  Pennsylvania,  or  por- 
tions of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  to  the  shops, 
stores,  hotels  and  public  buildings,  every  yard,  in 
many  instances,  fenced  with  stone  gleaned  and  cleaned 
from  the  soil,  and,  for  that  matter,  every  spot  upon 
which  the  eye  rested  showed  that  thrift  and  not 
whisky-drinking  ruled  that  place  ;  and  that  fact  alone 
entitles  the  little  German  city  to  respectable  ele- 
vation from  the  obscurity  which  has  heretofore  sur- 
rounded it. 

As  nothing  at  this  point  could  be  learned  regard- 
ing Taylor,  though  leaving  the  town  and  its  extra- 
ordinary attractions  with  some  reluctance,  they  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  San  Antonio,  the  roads  to 
which  place  were  quite  passable,  and  arrived  at  that 
city  Friday  afternoon.  I  had  telegraphed  to  Colonel 
Lee,  of  San  Antonio,  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  to 
assist  my  son  and  Keating,  on  the  score  of  personal 
friendship,  whenever  they  might  arrive  there,  not 


666  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

knowing,  from  the  terrible  condition  of  the  roads,  at 
what  time  it  would  be  possible  for  them  to  reach  that 
point,  and  he,  being  ignorant  from  what  direction 
they  might  come,  where  they  might  stay,  or  under 
what  name  they  might  register,  had  caused  an  adver- 
tisement to  be  inserted  in  the  San  Antonio  Herald, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 

PERSONAL.— WHENEVER  THE  SON  OF  A.  P.,  of 
Chicago,  may  arrive  in  San  Antonio,  he  will  -learn  of 
something  to  his  advantage  by  calling  upon  Lieut- 
Col.  Lee,  at  the  Mengler  House. 

Keating's  sharp  eyes  first  saw  the  item  at  the  sup- 
per table  of  the  Mengler  House,  where  they  were 
stopping,  and  they  both  learned,  by  listening  to  the 
conversation  about  them,  that  the  Colonel  was  sitting 
at  the  same  table. 

After  supper  William  made  himself  known  to 
Colonel  Lee  without  attracting  attention,  the  latter 
kindly  offering  him  any  help  needed,  after  which  in- 
quiries of  a  guarded  character  were  instituted  for  the 
object  of  their  search.  The  landlord  of  the  Mengler 
House  stated  that  Taylor  had  called  upon  him  about 
three  weeks  before  to  inquire  for  letters,  but  as  he 
was  stopping  elsewhere  but  little  attention  had  been 
paid  to  him  or  his  questions  ;  all  of  which  William 
had  reason  to  believe  absolutely  true,  on  account  of 
the  strong  corroborative  testimony  which  would  lie 
in  the  statement  of  any  landlord  that  no  civility  was 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  667 

shown  to  a  man  who  quartered  at  any  hostelry  save 
his  own. 

The  next  morning  he  called  upon  Chief  of  Police, 
H.  D.  Bonnet,  who  extended  every  imaginable  cour- 
tesy, went  with  him  to  the  offices  of  the  different 
stage-lines,  and  assisted  in  examining  their  lists  for 
some  time  previous  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  what 
direction  Taylor  had  taken  when  he  left  San  An- 
tonio ;  introduced  him  to  the  Mayor  and  Chief  Mar- 
shal, and  even  went  with  him  on  an  extended  tour 
through  the  old  Mexican  quarter  of  the  town  ;  but 
no  other  information  was  secured  save  through  the 
German  landlady  of  a  hotel,  who  was  as  positive  as 
her  limited  knowledge  of  the  English  language  would 
allow  her  to  be,  that  Taylor  had  stopped  at  her  house 
without  registering  at  all,  and  had  gone  directly  from 
San  Antonio  to  Port  Lavaca  or  Corpus  Christi  on 
horseback,  which,  after  all,  in  the  exceptional  condi- 
tion of  the  weather  that  year  in  Texas,  seemed  quite 
probable. 

It  was  evident  nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  re- 
maining any  longer  at  San  Antonio,  and  was  quite  as 
plain  that  all  possible  expedition  should  be  used  in 
getting  on  to  the  coast. 

As  if  the  fates  were  ordained  perverse,  the 
moment  the  two  left  San  Antonio  a  steady  drenching 
rain  again  began  to  fall,  and  as  the  stage  was  crowd- 
ed, the  discomfort  of  those  within  could  not  very  well 
be  increased.  About  twelve  miles  from  San  Antonio 


668  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

the  driver  succeeded  in  tipping  over  the  stage,  and 
giving  the  occupants  '  an  elegant  mud  varnish  all 
over,"  as  operative  Kiting  aptly  expressed  it.  The 
driver  remarked  *Uat  he  was  "going  up  the  new 
road,"  but  soire  •*{  the  more  profane  passengers  swore 
that,  if  so,  h«i  was  hunting  it  three  feet  under  the 
old  or,e.  On  arriving  at  Lavernia  station  the  dismal 
announcement  was  made  by  the  lean,  long  stage 
agerit,  who  seemed  to  have  never  done  anything  from 
time  immemorial  save  sit  in  the  door  of  his  tumble- 
down hovel  to  make  dismal  announcement  that  "the 
Cibolo  (prounced  there  '  C'uillou')  is  just  a  scootin' 
and  a  rippin'  up  its  banks  like  a  mad  buffler 
bull  !  ye'll  all  be  back  to  stay  at  my  tavern  all 
night." 

It  was  the  contemplation  of  this  man's  pure 
cussedness,  as  he  sat  there  doting  on  the  big  bills  he 
would  charge  when  the  Cibolo  should  drive  back  a 
stage  load  of  hungry  travelers,  that  nerved  them  to 
push  on  at  all  hazards  and  attempt  a  crossing  at  some 
point  where  the  Cibolo  "  scooted  and  ripped  up  its 
banks  "  with  less  ardor  than  across  the  regular  route 
to  Victoria;  but  on  reaching  Southerland  Springs, 
seven  miles  distant,  it  was  found  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  wait  until  Thursday  morning,  when  they 
might  possibly  make  a  passage,  as  the  stream  was 
running  down  to  within  something  like  ordinary 
bounds  very  fast. 

Thursday  afternoon  came  before  an  attempt  to 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  669 

ford  the  stream  was  made,  when  the  driver  agreed  to 
land  the  passengers  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  on 
an  immense  fallen  tree,  from  which  point  they  could 
reach  the  other  side,  when  they  might  be  able  to  get 
the  empty  stage  across  also. 

The  trial  was  made,  and  was  successful  so  far  as 
landing  the  passengers  was  concerned,  but  while  this 
was  being  done  the  wheels  of  the  coach  sank  deeper 
and  deeper  into  the  mucky  bed  of  the  stream,  and 
though  but  a  few  minutes  had  elapsed,  the  strange 
action  of  the  water  had  caused  deposits  to  form  about 
the  coach  so  rapidly  that  it  became  firmly  imbedded, 
and  could  not  be  moved  by  the  four  horses  attached. 
At  this  juncture  an  old  farmer  came  along,  who 
carried  the  evidences  of  some  of  his  propensities 
strongly  marked  in  his  face,  which  was  a  thin  one, 
like  his  conscience,  but  with  bright  tips  on  his  cheek 
bones  and  as  red  a  nose  as  ever  the  devil-artist  in 
alcohol  tipped  with  crimson.  No  importunities  or 
amount  of  money  could  prevail  on  him  to  assist  the 
discouraged  travelers  with  his  fine  mule  train  ;  but  a 
pint  of  good  whiskey,  to  be  delivered  the  moment 
the  stage  had  been  drawn  from  its  peril,  with  a  small 
drink  by  way  of  retainer,  accomplished  what  would 
not  have  been  done  in  any  other  manner,  and  set  the 
travelers  joyfully  on  their  way  again.  They  jour- 
neyed on  at  a  snail's  pace  until  one  o'clock  Friday 
morning,  when  they  arrived  at  Kelly's  ranche,  kept  by 
Bill  Kelly,  uncle  of  the  "  Taylor  boys,"  notorious  for 


670  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

their  connection  with  the  Ku  Klux  and  various  other 
gangs  of  villainous  desperadoes. 

The  family  were  unceremoniously  awakened,  and 
at  once  good-humoredly  proceeded  to  provide  the 
ravenous  passengers  with  something  to  eat ;  after 
which  they  made  a  "shake-down"  on  the  floor,  into 
which  substitute  for  a  bed  everybody  turned,  and  slept 
late  into  the  morning,  awakening  stiff  in  every  joint 
and  scarcely  able  for  that  day's  journey,  which,  with 
its .  complement  of  accidents  and  delays,  took  them 
safely  over  Esteto  creek  and  into  Yorktown  early  in 
the  evening,  where  the  detectives  secured  certain  in- 
formation that  Taylor  had  been  in  Corpus  Christi 
the  week  previous,  and  was  undoubtedly  there  at  that 
time,  as  Texas  by  this  time  had  become  a  net-work  of 
resistless  streams,  almost  impassible  quagmires  and 
far-reaching  lagoons. 


VI. 


LATE  the  next  morning  they  left  Yorktown,  hav- 
ing taken  on  a  passenger  of  no  less  importance  than 
ex-Confederate  Governor  Owens,  of  Arizona.  He 
was  a  pleasant,  voluble  old  fellow,  and  my  son  at  once 
fell  in  with  his  ways,  and  treated  him  so  courteously 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  671 

that  it  perhaps  averted  a  greater  disaster  than  had  at 
any  previous  time  occurred. 

Governor  Owens  was  largely  engaged  in  the  Rio 
Grande  trade  of  supplying  frontier  points  with  pro- 
visions and  merchandise,  and  was  just  on  his  way  to 
Indianola,  on  the  coast,  where  he  was  to  meet  his 
Mexican  freighters,  comprising  thirty  wagons  and 
carts,  of  all  characters  and  descriptions,  driven  by  the 
inevitable  lazy  Greaser.  Even  as  late  as  the  same 
period,  1867-8,  a  vast  amount  of  freighting  was  done 
between  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and  Fort  Garry,  Mani- 
toba, in  the  famed  Red  River  carts,  driven  by  the 
inevitable,  lazy  half-breed. 

William,  knowing  the  position  held  by  Governor 
Owens  during  a  portion  of  the  war,  and  realizing  that 
an  ex-office-holder  will  never  lose  his  tenderness  for 
the  political  regime  which  made  him  titled,  assumed 
to  be  a  Mississippian,  from  Vicksburg,  with  an  Irish 
acquaintance,  on  a  trip  of  inspection  through  Texas, 
and,  so  far,  terribly  disappointed  with  the  State. 

During  those  periods  when,  owing  to  the  depth  of 
the  mud,  the  passengers  were  obliged  to  walk,  they 
would  fall  behind  or  walk  ahead  of  the  stage,  when 
they  would  chat  pleasantly  upon  general  subjects. 
On  one  of  these  occasions  Governor  Owens  eyed  his 
companion  sharply  a  moment,  and  then  asked : 

"  Can  I  trust  you,  sir  ?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  On  the  word  and  honor  of  a  gentleman  ?" 


672  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

"  Yes,  and  an  honest  man,  too,"  William  answered. 

"  I  believe   you ;  thank  you.     You  know  stages 
are  robbed  out  this  way  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  it  done  ?" 

"  No  ;  nor  have  I  any  desire  to  be  around  on  such 
an  occasion,"  he  replied,  laughing. 

"I  reckon  you  hadn't  better,  either,"  said  the 
Governor  earnestly.  "  It  wouldn't  make  so  much 
difference  if  they  would  do  the  work  a  trifle  genteelly, 
in  a  gentlemanly  way ;  but  the  fact  is,  we  have  low 
fellows  along  our  Texas  stage-lines.  They  have  no 
regard  for  a  man's  family.  Why,"  he  continued, 
warmly,  "they'll  just  pop  out  from  behind  the  trees, 
or  up  through  some  clumps  of  bushes,  ram  a  double 
barreled  shot-gun,  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  slugs 
and  things,  into  the  coach  from  both  sides  at  once, 
and  just  blaze  away — all  that  are  not  killed  outright 
are  scared  to  death.  There's  nothing  fair  about  it !" 

William  expressed  his  curiosity  to  know  if  the 
drivers  were  ever  killed. 

"  Drivers  ?  Never,  sir,  never.  Why,  those  ruf- 
fians are  too  smart  for  that.  Let  it  be  known  that 
they  have  begun  killing  drivers,  and  there  isn't  a 
stage  company  in  Texas  that  could  send  a  coach 
past  the  first  timber.  They  couldn't  afford  to  kill 
stage-drivers,  for  the  moment  they  began  it,  that 
would  be  the  end  of  staging." 

My  son  expressed  his  thanks  at  learning  so  much 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  673 

of  the  business  principles  of   these  land  pirates,  and 
the  old  gentleman  continued  : 

"  You  see,  it  takes  a  peculiar  kind  of  a  driver  for 
a  Texas  coach.  You  want  one,  first,  that  can  drink 
right  smart  of  whiskey,  for  the  water  isn't  good  along 
some  of  these  branches.  You  want  one  that  can 
swear  a  hoss's  head  square  off,  too.  He's  got  to  be  a 
coward,  or  he  would  help  put  this  robbing  down  ; 
and  yet,  he  has  got  to  be  rather  brave  to  drive  right 
along  up  to  a  spot  where  he  knows  he  is  to  see  his 
passengers  butchered  !  and  that,"  continued  the  Gov- 
enor,  earnestly,  "  is  just  what  I  want  to  talk  to  you 
about,  as  I  feel  sure  that  I  can  trust  you." 

The  Governor  then  explained  to  him  that  a  cer- 
tain member  of  the  Ku  Klux,  whom  he  was  sorry  to 
say  was  too  intimate  with  those  roadside  plunderers, 
had  informed  him  that  morning,  just  as  he  was  leav- 
ing Yorktown,  that  preparations  had  been  made  to 
rob  their  stage  at  a  point  between  Clinton  and  Mis- 
sion Valley ;  and  that  he  very  much  desired  some 
organization  among  the  passengers  for  defense,  as  he 
himself  had  upwards  of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  be 
paid  out  at  Indianola,  for  goods,  and  to  his  freighters 
for  wages. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  alarming  intelligence,  my 
son  took  the  responsibility  of  informing  the  rest  of 
the  passengers  what  might  possibly  be  expected  ;  and, 
as  Governor  Owens  had  six  fine  carbines,  which  he  was 
also  taking  down  to  Indianola  for  the  protection  of 

43 


674  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

his  freighters  on  the  Rio  Grand,  preparatory  to  any 
attack  that  might  be  made. 

About  six  miles  from  Mission  Valley  the  stage 
route  traversed  a  low  piece  of  bottom-lands  covered 
with  timber,  and  a  considerable  growth  of  underbrush. 
A  corduroy  road  had  been  built  through  the  place, 
and  as  the  coach  was  obliged  to  be  driven  slowly 
across  it,  the  locality  offered  particularly  fine  induce- 
ments for  a  robbery  of  the  character  described  by  the 
Governor ;  so  that  the  precaution  was  taken  of 
walking  along  with  the  coach,  three  on  either  side, 
with  carbines  ready  for  instant  use. 

Just  before  entering  the  timber,  two  men  were 
seen  prowling  about,  and,  evidently  fearing  their 
actions  might  cause  suspicion  and  frustrate  the  plan 
they  had  in  view,  made  a  great  effort  to  appear  to  be 
two  respectable  hunters  in  search  of  only  wild  game  ; 
and,  before  leaving  the  timber  at  the  other  side,  two 
more  persons  were  seen,  who,  evidently,  not  having 
been  given  any  signal,  had  come  as  near  to  the  stage 
as  they  dared,  to  ascertain  for  themselves  why  their 
comrades  had  failed  in  their  calculations  ;  but  skulked 
away  after  seeing  the  force  which  grimly  trudged 
along,  guarding  the  empty  vehicle,  into  which  the 
passengers  were  glad  enough  to  climb  when  the  dan- 
ger was  gone  by,  and  be  carried  with  sound  bodies 
and  whole  pockets  to  the  supper  which  had  been 
some  time  in  waiting  when  they  reached  Mission 
Valley. 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  /        675 

Dinner  the  next  day  was  taken  at  Victoria,  from 
which  city  William  and  Keating  expected  to  be  able 
to  go  by  railroad  to  Port  Lavaca,  only  twenty-eight 
miles  distant.  They  were  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment in  this,  as  the  railroad  had  been  abandoned 
since  the  war,  either  the  Union  or  Confederate 
soldiers  having  taken  it  up  bodily  and  turned  it  up- 
side down,  like  a  gigaptic  furrow,  from  Victoria  to 
the  sea. 

After  many  years  somebody  had  come  along  and 
turned  it  back  ;  but  to  this  day  the  steam-engine  has 
never  thundered  over  it  again  ;  the  most  that  has  ever 
been  done  having  been  to  drag  an  occasional  freight 
car  over  the  road  by  the  not  peculiarly  thrilling  appli- 
cation of  mule  power ;  and  so  it  was  said  a  hand-car, 
worked  by  a  gang  of  negroes,  was  used  for  trans- 
porting passengers,  the  trips  being  made  back  and 
forth  whenever  a  load  could  be  got,  and  not  before. 

As  they  were  obliged  to  remain  for  this  new  mode 
of  conveyance,  their  time  was  entirely  unoccupied, 
and  they  could  not  but  have  leisure  to  make  some- 
thing of  a  study  of  Texan  life,  as  it  then  existed  ;  and 
on  Sunday  afternoon  were  witnesses  to  one  of  those 
little  episodes  which  sometimes  make  extremely  lively 
certain  periods  that  would  otherwise  remain  hum- 
drum and  ordinary. 

The  bar-room  of  the  hotel  had  been  crowded  all 
day,  and  a  good  deal  of  liquor  had  been  drunk,  while 
there  had  also  been  a  large  amount  of  money  lost  and 


676  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

won  over  cards,  so  that  there  was  that  feverish,  ex- 
plosive condition  of  things  which  always  follows  large 
winnings  or  losses  at  games  of  chance,  although  there 
had  as  yet  been  no  disturbance  of  a  serious  character. 

At  one  of  the  little  gaming  tables,  John  Foster, 
county  clerk  of  Victoria  County,  and  another 
person,  named  Lew  Phillips,  who  had  been  one  of 
the  Andersonville  prison-keepers  during  the  war,  but 
had  drifted  out  to  Victoria  and  had  secured  charge  of 
a  large  livery-stable  there,  were  engaged  at  a  game  of 
poker,  when  Foster  was  heard  to  quietly  say  : 

"  See  here,  Lew  Phillips,  you  stole  that  card  !" 

"  You're  a  liar  !"  was  retorted,  with  an  oath. 

The  two  men  were  up  over  the  card-table  in  a 
twinkling,  looking  at  each  other,  and  both  very 
white. 

"  Apologize  !"  demanded  Foster,  still  quiet,  but 
with  a  terrible  earnestness  in  his  voice. 

"  I  don't  do  that  sort  of  business,  you  white-livered 
coward  !"  shouted  Phillips. 

Without  another  look  or  word,  the  two  parted, 
one  passing  out  one  door  and  the  other  out  of 
another,  while  the  crowd  in  the  hotel  canvassed  the 
matter  as  coolly  as  though  there  had  been  no  diffi- 
culty worth  mentioning,  while  a  few  quietly  laid 
wagers  on  who  would  get  the  first  shot. 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  more,  Foster  was  seen 
returning  with  a  double-barreled  shot-gun,  and 
Phillips,  who  had  a  wooden  leg,  came  stumping  up 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  677 

another  street,  with  an  immense  navy  revolver  in  his 
hand.  It  was  noticeable  that  the  space  between  the 
advancing  men  was  made  very  clear,  so  that  nothing 
should  interfere  with  their  sociability.  In  a  moment 
more,  Phillips  had  fired  at  Foster,  and  evidently  hit 
him  ;  for,  as  he  was  bringing  his  gun  to  his  shoulder, 
his  aim  had  been  badly  disturbed,  and  before  he  had 
time  to  fire,  Phillips  had  fired  again  and  wounded  his 
man  the  second  time.  Foster  now  leaned  against  a 
porch  column,  desperately  resolved  to  get  a  good 
aim, — his  antagonist,  all  the  while  advancing, 
attempted  to  fire  again,  but  missed  this  time,  the  cap 
refusing  to  communicate  the  deadly  flash  to  the 
chamber  of  the  revolver, — then  there  was  a  blinding 
flash  from  Foster's  gun,  accompanied  by  a  thunderous 
report,  and  the  two  men  fell  almost  instantaneously. 

Foster  had  discharged  both  barrels  of  his  weapon, 
heavily  loaded  with  buck-shot,  at  Phillips,  the  entire 
charge  having  entered  his  wooden  leg,  and  sent  him 
spinning  to  the  ground,  like  the  sudden  jerk  and 
whirl  of  a  nearly  spent  top,  the  recoil  of  the  gun  also 
"kicking"  Foster  flat  as  a  Tennessee  "poor  white's" 
corn  pone. 

The  "  gentlemen  "  who  had  been  looking  on  and 
quietly  criticising  the  little  by-play,  now  rushed  for- 
ward and  surrounded  the  combatants,  the  anxiety  of 
each  of  whom  was  to  be  assured  of  the  other's  death ; 
or,  in  case  of  his  being  alive,  to  have  some  one  to  be 
the  immediate  bearer  of -tender  regards  and  profuse 


678  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

expressions    of    friendship  ;  thus   terminating    satis- 
factorily to  all  parties  what  the  chivalrous  inhabitants 
of  Victoria  informed  my  detectives  was  called  a  "  stag 
duel,"  the  most  common  and  effective  method  known 
for  settling  the  little  difficulties  liable  at  any  time  to 
occur  among  gentlemen,  the  only  conditions  imposed 
by  custom  being  that  neither  party  shall    offer    to 
shoot  in  a  crowded  room,  or  be  allowed  to  fire  at  his 
opponent  unless  he  is  also  prepared,  when  other  citi- 
zens who  may  be  using  the  streets  at  those  times 
withdraw  from  them  as  rapidly  as  consistent  with  the 
proprieties,  when  the  occasion  is  immediately  made 
interesting  to  the  participants,  who  advance  and  fire 
upon  each  other  as  rapidly   as  a  liberal  practice   in 
this    and  other   "codes"   of  taking  human  life  will 
permit. 

As  the  next  sensation  to  a  "  stag  duel "  in  Victoria 
was  the  arrival  of  the  "  train  "  from  Lavaca,  in  the 
shape  of  the  hand-car  manned  by  four  burly  negroes, 
who  with  the  original  superintendent  of  the  road  had 
formed  a  soulless  corporation  with  which  nothing 
could  compete,  it  was  not  long  before  the  detectives 
had  secured  seats  with  four  other  passengers,  making 
ten  persons  in  all,  to  be  conveyed  twenty-eight  miles 
on  a  broken-down  hand-car  over  probably  the  most 
villainous  excuse  for  a  railroad  ever  known. 

The  fare  was  six  dollars  in  gold  for  each  passen- 
ger, which  might  seem  to  have  a  shade  of  exorbitance 
about  it  when  it  was  considered  that  the  accommoda- 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  679 

tlons  consisted  of  two  very  insecure  seats,  constructed 
over  the  wheels,  upon  each  of  which  three  persons 
might  cling  with  a  constant  expectation  of  being 
joilted  off  by  the  unevenness  of  the  road,  or  of  falling 
off  from  sheer  fatigue  in  endeavor  to  cling  to  the 
ramshackle  boards  beneath  them. 

"  All  abo'd  !"  shouted  the  negro  conductor,  with 
all  the  style  and  unction  of  the  diamond-pinned  aristo- 
crat of  a  New  York  Central  train  ;  and  then,  as  the 
"  train  "  started  out  of  Victoria  the  passengers  and 
the  admiring  lookers-on  were  greeted  with  the  follow- 
ing song,  tuned  to  the  "  Ra-ta-tat "  of  the  wheels 
upon  the  rails,  and  sturdily  sung,  or  chanted  rather, 
by  the  jolly  but  powerful  crew  : 

"  Heave  ho  ! 
Away  we  go — 

Winds  may  wait,  or  de  winds  may  blow  ! 
Heave  ho  ! 
Away  we  go — 

For  to  cotch  de  gals  at  Lavac — o  !" 

In  the  sense  that  this  mode  of  traveling  had  the 
charm  of  novelty  and  the  thrilling  attraction  of  dan- 
ger combined,  it  was  a  success.  There  was  freshness 
and  variety  about  it,  too  ;  for,  whenever  one  of  the 
negroes  had  "  done  gin  out,"  the  conductor  would 
call  for  volunteers  from  among  the  passengers,  and 
give  the  demand  a  peculiar  emphasis  by  the  remark, 
"  Takes  brawn  'n  sinyew  to  pump  dis  hy'r  train  into 
Vacca ;  'n  de'  Lo'd  never  did  make  no  men  out  o! 
cl'ar  iron  'n  steel  !" 


680  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

The  argument  was  so  forcible  that  some  one 
would  work  with  the  negroes  while  the  "  clean  done 
gone  "  man  and  brother  rested  and  meditated  upon 
"  catchin'  the  gals  of  Vacca  !"  which  the  song  brought 
out  so  feelingly. 

Besides  this,  new  interest  would  be  added  to  the 
excursion  whenever  the  wind  was  favorable ;  for, 
stopping  the  car,  a  mast,  to  which  a  sort  of  "  mutton- 
leg  sail,"  as  they  termed  it,  would  be  attached ;  the 
conductor  would  brace  himself  and  would  lengthen  or 
shorten  the  sail  as  was  most  judicious,  and  then  the 
hand-car  ship  would  speed  along  the  billowy  tract 
like  a  majestic  thing  of  life  for  a  mile  or  two,  when 
the  party  were  again  forced  into  a  realizing  sense 
of  the  plodding  nature  of  the  means  of  transit,  which, 
after  all,  at  times  became  monotonous. 

On  one  of  these  occasions  of  momentary  fair  sail- 
ing and  enthusiasm,  they  were  also  favored  with  a 
down  grade  of  quite  a  stretch  ;  and,  as  everybody  was 
happy  at  the  wonderful  rate  of  speed  acquired,  while 
the  negroes  were  singing  snatches  of  songs  in  the 
gayest  manner  possible,  a  "  spread  "  of  the  track  let 
the  car  upon  the  ties,  from  which  it  leaped  at  one 
bound  into  the  swamp,  completely  immersing  several 
of  its  occupants  in  the  muddy  slime. 

No  damage  was  done,  however,  as  the  spot  where 
everything  and  everybody  alighted  was  too  soft 
to  cause  anything  to  be  broken  ;  and  after  righting 
the  car,  and  repairing  the  disaster  as  much  as  possible, 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  68 1 

William  and  Keating  safely  arrived  in  Lavaca  early 
in  the  afternoon,  were  at  once  driven  to  Indianola, 
where  they  cleaned  up,  including  a  most  welcome 
bathing  and  shaving,  at  the  Magnolia  House  ;  em- 
barked on  a  little  schooner  carrying  the  government 
mail  down  the  coast ;  were  becalmed  in  Aranzas  Bay, 
and  late  during  the  night  of  the  twenty-seventh  of 
January  the  light  from  a  quaint  seaport  city  danced 
along  the  waves  of  its  beautiful  harbor,  and  welcomed 
the  worn-out  but  indefatigable  detectives  to  Corpus 
Christi. 


VII. 


GOING  ashore,  the  two  proceeded  to  a  sort  of 
hotel  or  boarding-house  on  the  beach,  where  they 
found  Judge  Carpenter,  formerly  of  Chicago,  who 
had  become  district  judge  there,  and  who,  on  learn- 
ing my  son's  name,  inquired  if  he  were  not  a  relative 
of  Allan  Pinkerton  the  detective. 

He  replied  that  he  was  very  distantly  related, 
which  was  a  literal  truth  at  that  time,  when  the  Judge, 
claiming  an  acquaintance,  proffered  any  assistance 
which  might  be  desired,  whatever  his  business.  The 
courtesy  was  courteously  accepted,  but  no  questions 
were  asked  concerning  Taylor. 

After  breakfast  the  next  morning,  they  strolled 


682  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

up-town  with  Judge  Carpenter,  when  passing  a  Mr. 
Buckley's  store,  Keating,  while  catching  step,  took 
occasion  to  nudge  my  son,  who  carelessly  looked  into 
the  place,  as  any  stranger  might,  and  there  saw  the 
object  of  his  long  search  pleasantly  chatting  with  one 
of  the  clerks  ;  but  they  walked  on  quietly  with  the 
Judge  as  far  as  the  post-office,  when  he  kindly  intro- 
duced them  to  another  Mr.  Taylor,  the  postmaster. 

After  a  few  moments'  pleasant  conversation,  Wil- 
liam asked  the  postmaster  if  he  could  direct  him  to 
ex-Sheriff  John  McLane's  residence.  It  proved  to  be 
but  a  block  distant,  but  on  inquiring  there,  it  was 
ascertained  that  he  was  absent  at  his  store,  farther 
down-town.  He  was  the  only  person  in  that  city,  be- 
sides Keating,  whom  my  son  felt  that  he  could  trust, 
as  I  had  not  only  previously  rendered  him  service, 
but  also  held  him  in  the  light  of  a  friend  ;  and  he  had 
already  been  requested  by  me  to  render  him  any  ser- 
vice in  his  power,  should  William  pass  that  way,  so 
that  he  knew  the  first  thing  he  should  do  was  to  go 
to  him,  explain  his  business  fully  and  secure  his  im- 
mediate advice  and  assistance. 

Finding  him,  he  told  him  that  he  did  not  feel  jus- 
tified in  arresting  Taylor  unless  the  mail-boat  in 
which  he  had  arrived  was,  in  some  way,  detained  for 
an  hour.  McLane  said  he  would  attend  to  that,  and 
brought  Captain  Reinhart  to  the  store,  but  not  telling 
him  why  the  delay  was  desired,  arranged  for  the  same, 
and  at  once  hunted  up  Sheriff  Benson,  to  whom  my 


A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  683 

son  delivered  the  warrant  and  demanded  the  pris- 
oner. 

Benson  at  first  hesitated,  expressing  the  utmost 
surprise,  as  Taylor  was  a  fellow-boarder,  and  he  could 
not  realize,  so  he  said,  that  he  was  other  than  a  brave 
and  chivalrous  gentleman,  and  began  to  question  the 
validity  of  the  requisition,  but  William  told  him  that 
there  was  the  order  of  Governor  Pease  approved  by 
General  Canby,  and  that  he  did  not  propose  to  be 
dallied  with  or  imposed  upon  in  any  manner. 

Seeing  that  my  son  had  come  too  far  and  under- 
gone too  many  hardships  to  be  trifled  with,  he  went 
with  him  to  Buckley's  s'tore,  where  they  found  Tay- 
lor, who  was  given  into  the  detectives'  hands,  though 
utterly  astounded  and  completely  unnerved  at  the 
idea  that  the  strong  hand  of  the  law  was  upon  him. 

In  this  condition,  and  before  he  could  collect  his 
scattered  senses  and  decide  to  make  a  legal  resistance, 
which  would  have  caused  my  son  a  vast  amount  of 
trouble,  if  indeed  it  had  not  resulted  in  the  liberation 
of  the  elegant  swindler,  he  was  placed  on  board  the 
schooner. 

After  they  had  left  Corpus  Christi  behind,  Wil- 
liam began  a  system  of  soothing  argument,  with  the 
end  in  view  of  convincing  Taylor,  who  was  now  be- 
coming nervous  and  restless,  and  evidently  ashamed 
of  being  carried  away  so  ingloriously,  that  it  would 
be  the  best  thing  for  himself,  his  brother,  and  even 
his  people  in  Philadelphia,  to  go  along  quietly,  with- 


684  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

out  creating  any  disturbance,  as,  should  he  do  so,  he 
would  treat  him  like  a  gentleman  in  every  instance  ; 
but  should  he  give  him  any  trouble  whatever  he 
would  be  obliged  to  put  him  in  irons,  and  not  only 
treat  him  like  a  criminal,  but  would  serve  him  roughly 
in  every  particular. 

Taylor  saw  that  he  was  in  my  power,  and  that  I 
had  put  two  men  after  him  who  would  have  gone  to 
Cape  Horn  for  him,  and  that  his  only  chance  of 
escape  lay  in  strategy. 

He  had  the  perfect  freedom  of  the  boat,  and, 
when  he  desired,  chatted  with  the  captain-  and  the 
crew,  who  were  not  apprised  by  my  son  of  the  char- 
acter of  his  new  companion,  and  everything  was  done 
to  make  him  comfortable. 

At  first  he  kept  entirely  to  himself,  but  of  a  sud- 
den his  manner  changed  entirely,  and  he  became  par- 
ticularly pleasant,  especially  to  the  captain  of  the 
boat ;  and  as  they  were  nearing  the  little  barren 
Saluria  Island,  at  the  entrance  to  Matagorda  Bay, 
William  accidentally  overheard  the  captain  say  to 
Taylor,  "The  tide  is  high  enough,  and  I  will  be  able 
to  run  close  to  the  island."  This  caused  him  to  have 
no  particular  suspicion  of  Taylor,  as  the  remark  might 
equally  apply  to  a  hundred  other  subjects  besides  the 
one  to  which  it  did ;  but  in  a  few  moments  after,  he 
noticed  the  schooner,  which  had  hugged  the  island 
pretty  closely,  now  suddenly  take  a  still  closer  tack, 
and  rapidly  neared  the  barren  coast.  Feeling  alarmed 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  685 

lest  the  helmsman  was  not  attending  to  his  duty,  my 
son  yelled  : 

"Captain,  what  under  heaven  do  you  mean? 
Don't  you  see  that  in  another  moment  you'll  have  us 
beached  ?" 

He  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words  when  Taylor 
was  seen  to  spring  into  the  waves,  and  then  disappear, 
and  the  boat  at  the  same  moment  stood  off  from  the 
island,  as  if  in  obedience  to  the  warning  my  son  had 
given. 

The  truth  flashed  into  his  mind  in  an  instant : 
Here,  after  this  hard,  unremitting  toil,  the  discom- 
forts, the  annoyances,  the  dangers,  everything 
through  which  they  had  been  obliged  to  pass,  after 
their  hopes  for  success,  and  after  they  had  earned 
it — if  two  men  ever  had  earned  success — just  when 
they  were  beginning  to  feel  the  pleasure  of  work  well 
done,  and  be  able  to  experience  the  genuine  satisfac- 
tion it  is  to  any  man  who  is  honest  enough  to  ac- 
knowledge it,  in  securing  the  regard  of  the  public  for 
assisting  in  its  protection,  the  commendation  of  one's 
employer  for  good  sturdy  care  for  his  interests,  and 
the  self-respect  one  gains  in  doing  one's  duty,  even  if 
it  has  led  him  a  hard  life  of  it, — they  were  to  be 
cheated  and  outwitted.  Half  crazed,  my  son,  with 
anger  and  indignation,  and  a  perfect  flood  of  humiliat- 
ing thoughts  filled  his  brain  in  the  first  great  ques- 
tion, "  What  was  to  be  done?" 

His  first   impulse  was  to  plunge  in  after  him,  and 


686  A    DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

in  pursuance  of  that  impulse  he  had  freed  himself  of 
his  boots  and  coat,  when,  seeing  Taylor  rise  to  the 
surface  and  make  but  little  headway  against  the  tide, 
which  was  ebbing  strongly,  he  call  to  the  captain  to 
round  to,  and  began  firing  with  considerable  rapidity, 
so  as  to  strike  the  water  within  a  few  feet  of  the  man 
who  was  so  unsuccessfully  struggling  against  the  tide, 
but  whom  he  could  not  blame  for  making  so  brave 
and  desperate  an  effort  to  free  himself. 

He  was  provided  'with  two  magnificent  English 
Trenter  revolvers,  which  will  carry  a  half-ounce  ball 
a  fourth  of  a  mile  with  absolute  accuracy  ;  and  as  he 
could  use  it  with  great  precision  he  could  easily  have 
killed  the  man  in  the  water.  Both  the  captain  and 
Taylor  were  terribly  scared,  and  as  Taylor  held  up 
his  hand,  and  yelled — "  I  surrender  !"  the  balls  were 
cutting  into  the  water  all  about  him  savagely,  and  the 
captain  shouted,  "  For  God's  sake,  don't  kill  the  man  ! 
Don't  you  see  I'm  rounding  to  ?" 

Keating,  who  had  been  almost  worn  out  from  the 
Texas  trip,  had  been  sleeping  in  a  bunk  below,  and 
who  had  been  roused  by,  William's  firing  and  the 
strange  motion  of  the  schooner,  now  came  on  deck 
rather  thinly  clad,  and  the  two  detectives  covered 
Taylor  with  their  revolvers ;  while  the  captain,  him- 
self at  the  wheel,  handled  the  schooner  so  that  it  was 
only  necessary  for  him  to  keep  himself  above  water 
in  order  to  float  with  the  tide  against  the  side  of  the 
boat,  when  my  son,  rather  too  indignant  to  be  partic- 


A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE.  687 

ularly  tender,  grabbed  him  by  the  hair  and  his  luxu- 
riant whiskers,  drew  him  aboard,  and  soundly  kicked 
him  into  the  cabin,  where  he  began  crying  from  ex- 
citement and  fright,  even  going  to  such  depths  of  dis- 
couragement that  he  begged  for  a  revolver  with 
which  to  kill  himself,  which  being  handed  him  by  my 
son  for  that  purpose,  he  very  properly  refused,  and 
was  put  to  bed  for  the  purpose  of  drying  his  clothes 
like  a  truant  school-boy. 

It  was  my  son's  intention  to  take  the  steamer  at 
Indianola  for  Galveston  immediately  upon  arriving 
at  the  former  place ;  but  on  account  of  a  heavy 
"  Norther,"  which  had  blown  all  day  Friday,  the 
steamer  had  been  obliged  to  put  out  to  sea,  and 
the  party  were  consequently  compelled  to  put  up  at 
the  Magnolia  House,  and  wait  there  until  the  follow- 
ing Monday ;  and  it  required  all  the  detective's 
shrewdness  to  keep  Taylor  quiet,  as  he  had  learned 
from  some  source  that  the  creation  of  Wyoming 
Territory,  which  occurred  a  short  time  before  his 
capture,  had  caused  Cheyenne  to  be  a  city  of  quite  a 
different  Territory  than  when  the  requisition  was 
issued,  which  would  have  amounted  to  so  grave  a 
technical  flaw  that  the  requisition  would  not  have  held 
against  a  habeas  corpus. 

Court  had  just  set  at  the  place,  and  Indianola  was 
full  of  lawyers,  hungry  as  vultures  for  just  such  a 
rich  case ;  but  by  constant  persuasions,  partial 
promises,  leading  to  a  hope,  at  least,  that  a  com- 


688  A     DETECTIVE'S    LIFE. 

promise  might  be  effected  at  New  Orleans,  and  dark 
hints  of  irons,  and  that,  should  his  brother  come  on 
there  and  create  any  disturbance  he  would  be  imme- 
diately arrested  as  accessory  both  before  and  after 
the  crime;  with  constant  drives  out  into  the  country, 
rambles  down  the  sea-shore,  and  every  pretext  known 
to  the  mind  of  the  ingenious  detective,  everything 
was  managed  successfully ;  a  receipt  for  nearly  two 
thousand  dollars  in  specie  secured  ;  the  turning 
over  of  the  money  to  Taylor's  brother  stopped  ;  and 
Taylor  himself  taken  to  New  Orleans  without  an 
attempt  at  rescue  ;  and  receiving  a  dispatch  there 
from  me  to  the  effect  that  a  compromise  could  not  be 
for  a  moment  considered,  the  party  left  that  city 
Thursday,  February  4th,  arriving  in  Cheyenne  six 
days  later,  my  son  accounting  for  his  prisoner  to  the 
authorities  into  whose  hands  the  case  then  passed ; 
the  last  being  seen  of  "  Harry  G.  Taylor,  the  Man 
from  Somewhere,"  being  behind  the  bars  of  the 
guard-house  at  Fort  Russell,  where  he  had  been 
placed  for  safe-keeping  previous  to  his  trial  ; — and  I 
have  related  these  facts,  not  so  much  to  show  any 
startling  phase  of  crime,  as  to  give  the  public  a  single 
illustration,  out  of  thousands  upon  my  records,  of  how 
men  must  overcome  every  known  obstacle  while 
leading  the  hard  life  of  the  detective. 

THE   END. 


\ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


